Full text of "USPTO Patents Application 10670332"

See other formats

(19)

Europaisches Patentamt
European Patent Office
Office europeen des brevets

III

(11)

EP1 612 790 A1

(12)

EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

published in accordance with Art. 158(3) EPC

(43) Date of publication:

04.01.2006 Bulletin 2006/01

(51) Intel.:

Gil B 20/1 2 ('^^'>

G11B7/00('^°^)

(21) Application number: 04720258.5

(22) Date of filing: 12.03.2004

(86) International application number:
PCT/JP2004/003358

(87) International publication number:

WO 2004/081938 (23.09.2004 Gazette 2004^9)

(84)

Designated Contracting States:

(72)

Inventors:

AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES Fl FR GB GR

•

TERADA, MItsutoshi

HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SKTR

/(JP)

Designated Extension States:

•

KOBAYASHI, Shoei

AL LT LV MK

/(JP)

•

KURAOKA,Tomotaka

(30)

Priority: 12.03.2003 JP 2003066663

/(JP)

(71)

Applicant: SONY CORPORATION

(74)

Representative: Mills, Julia

Tokyo 141-0001 (JP)

D Young & Co

120 Holborn

London EC1N2DY (GB)

(54) RECORDING MEDIUM, RECORDING DEVICE, REPRODUCTION DEVICE, RECORDING
METHOD, AND REPRODUCTION METHOD

<
O

CM
CO

(57) The present invention enhances the usability of
a write-once recording medium having a plurality of re-
cording layers. The write-once recording medium has a
plurality of recording layers each including a regular re-
cording reproduction area, an alternate area, a first al-
ternate-address management information area and a
second alternate-address management information area
(aTDMA). In addition, written unwritten state indication
information (a space bitmap) is recorded therein. Typi-
cally, the written unwritten state indication information is
recorded in the second alternate-address management
information area. By additionally recording alternate-ad-
dress management information related to an alter-
nate-address process in the second alternate-address
management information area, the second alternate-ad-
dress management information area can be used as an
area for implementing renewal of the alternate-address
management information. In addition, for every data unit
(each cluster) on each of the recording layers on the
write-once recording medium, written unwritten state in-
dication information is used as information indicating
whether or not data has been written into the data unit.
On top of that, the second alternate-address manage-
ment information areas (TDM As), which are each pro-
vided on one of recording layers, are used sequentially
one after another each as an area for updating alter-
nate-address management information and written un-
written state indication information.

SPACE 6 1 MP
(FOR LAYER 0)
TEMPORARY E

SPACE BITMAP
(FOR LAYER 1)
TEMPORARY DPS 2

TEMPORARY DFL
TEMPORARY DOS 3

SPACE BITMAP

(FOR UYER 0)
TEMPORARY DPS 4

SPACE BITMAP
(FOR LAYER 0)
TEMPORARY DPS 5

SPACE BITMAP
(FOR LAYER 1)
TEMPORARY DPS W

F I G. 1 5

SPA(£ BITMAP
(FOR LAYER (S
.JWORARYJ

SPACE BITMAP
(FOR LAYER 0)
TaPORARY DPS Iff2

AD. D FL
AD_SP1
AD_BPO

Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR)

EP 1 612 790 A1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording me-
dium such as an optical recording medium used partic-
ularly as write-once recording media as well as relates
to a recording apparatus, a recording method, a repro-
duction apparatus and a reproduction method, which are
provided for the recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] As a technology for recording and reproducing
digital data, there is known a data-recording technology
for using optical disks including magneto-optical disks as
recording media. Examples of the optical disks are a CD
(Compact Disk), an MD (Mini -Disk) and a DVD (Digital
Versatile Disk). The optical disk is the generic name of
recording media, which is a metallic thin plate protected
by plastic. When a laser beam is radiated to the optical
disk, the optical disk emits a reflected signal, from which
changes can be read out as changes representing infor-
mation recorded on the disk.

[0003] The optical disks can be classified into a
read-only category including a CD, a CD-ROM and a
DVD-ROM, which the user is already familiar with, and
a writable category allowing data to be written therein as
is generally known. The writable category includes an
MD, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a DVD-R, a DVD-RW, a
DVD+RW and a DVD-RAM. By adopting a magneto-op-
tical recording method, a phase-change recording-meth-
od or a pigmented-coat change recording-method forthe
writable category, data can be recorded onto a disk of
this category. The pigmented-coat change record-
ing-method is also referred to as a write-once record-
ing-method. Since this pigmented-coat change record-
ing-method allows data recording once and inhibits re-
newal of data onto the disk, the disk is good for data-sav-
ing applications or the like. On the other hand, the mag-
neto-optical recording method and the phase-change re-
cording-method are adopted in a variety of applications
allowing renewal of data. The applications allowing re-
newal of data include mainly an application of recording
various kinds of content data including musical data,
movies, games and application programs.
[0004] In addition, in recent years, a high-density op-
tical disk called a blue-ray disc has been developed in
an effort to produce the product on a very large scale.
[0005] Typically, data is recorded onto a high-density
optical disk and read out from the disk under a condition
requiring a combination of a laser with a wavelength of
405 nm and an objective lens with an NA of 0.85 to be
reproduced. The laser required in this condition is the
so-called blue laser. With the optical disk having a track
pitch of 0.32 fxm, a line density of 0.1 2 jxm/bit, aformatting
efficiency of about 82% and a diameter of 12 cm, data
of the amount of up to 23.3 GB (gigabytes) can be re-

corded onto and reproduced from the disk in record-
ing/reproduction units, which are each a data block of 64
KB (kilobytes).

[0006] There are also two types of optical disk having

5 such a high density, i.e., optical disks of a write-once type
and optical disks of a writable type.
[0007] In an operation to record data onto an optical
disk allowing data to be recorded therein by adoption of
the magneto-optical recording method, the pigment-

fo ed-coat change recording-method or the phase-change
recording-method, guide means for tracking data tracks
is required. Thus, a groove is created in advance to serve
as a pregroove. The groove or a land is used as a data
track. A land is a member having a shape resembling a

f5 section plateau between two adjacent grooves.

[0008] In addition, it is also necessary to record ad-
dresses so that data can be recorded at a predetermined
location indicated by an address as a location on a data
track. Such addresses are recorded on grooves by wob-

20 bling the grooves in some cases.

[0009] That is to say, a track for recording data is cre-
ated in advance as typically a pregroove. In this case,
addresses are recorded by wobbling the side walls of the
pregroove.

25 [001 0] By recording addresses in this way, an address

can be fetched from wobbling information conveyed by
a reflected light beam. Thus, data can be recorded at a
predetermined location and reproduced from a predeter-
mined location without creating for example pit data

30 showing an address or the like in advance on the track.
[0011] By adding addresses as a wobbling groove, it
is not necessary to discretely provide an address area
or the like on tracks as an area for recording typically pit
data representing addresses. Since such an address ar-

35 ea is not required, the capacity for storing actual data is
increased by a quantity proportional to the eliminated ad-
dress area.

[0012] It is to be noted that absolute-time (address)
information implemented by a groove wobbled as de-

40 scribed above is called an ATIP (Absolute Time In Pre-
groove) or an ADIP (Address in Pregroove).
[0013] In addition, in the case of recording media us-
able as media for recording these kinds of data or not as
reproduction-only media, there is known a technology for

45 changing a data- recording location on the disk by pro-
viding an alternate area. That is to say, this technology
is a defect managementtechnology whereby an alternate
recording-area is provided so that, if a location improper
for recording data exits on the disk due to a defect such

50 as an injury on the disk, the alternate recording-area can
be used as an area serving as a substitute forthe defec-
tive location to allow proper recording and reproduction
operations to be carried out properly.
[0014] These defect management technologies are

55 disclosed in documents including Japanese Unexamined
Patent Publication No. 2002-521 786, and Japanese Pat-
ent Laid-open Nos. Sho 60-74020 and Hei 1 1 -39801 .
[0015] By the way, it is naturally impossible to record

EP 1 612 790 A1

data into an already recorded area in a write-once optical
recording nnedium, that is, an area in which data has been
recorded before. Examples of the write-once optical re-
cording mediunn are a CD-R, a DVD-R and a high-density
recording nnedium, which function as a write-once disk.
[001 6] Specifications of nnostfile systenns to be record-
ed on an optical recording nnedium are defined by as-
suming the use of the optical recording medium as a
ROM-type disk or a RAM-type disk. The ROM-type disk
is a reproduction-only medium and the RAM-type disk is
a writable optical disk. Specifications of a file system for
a write-once recording medium allowing data to be stored
therein only once limitfunctionsofthe ordinary file system
and include special functions.

[0017] The specifications of a file system for a
write-once recording medium are a reason why the file
system does not become widely popular. On the other
hand, a FAT file system capable of keeping up with a
variety of OSes of an information -processing apparatus
and other file systems cannot be applied to write-once
media as they are.

[001 8] Write-once media is widely used typically in ap-
plications of preserving data. If the write-once media can
also be used for the FAT file system by keeping the gen-
eral specifications of the file system as they are, the us-
ability of the write-once media can be further enhanced.
[001 9] In order to allow a widely used file system such
as the FAT file system and a file system for RAMs or hard
disks to be applied to write-once media as it is, however,
a function to write data into the same address as that of
existing data is required. That is to say, a capability of
renewing data is required. Of course, one of character-
istics of the write-once media is that data cannot be writ-
ten onto the media for the second time. Thus, it is impos-
sible to use a file system for such a writable recording
medium as it is in the first place.
[0020] In addition, when the optical disk is mounted on
a disk drive or dismounted from it, the recording face of
the disk may be injured in dependence on the state in
which the disk is kept in the drive and the way in which
the disk is used. For this reason, the aforementioned
technique of managing defects has been proposed. Of
course, even the write-once media must be capable of
coping with a defect caused by an injury.
[0021] In addition, in the case of the conventional
write-once optical disk, data is recorded in a state of being
compacted sequentially in areas starting from the inner
side. To put it in detail, there is no space left between an
area already including recorded data and an area in
which data is to be recorded next. This is because the
conventional disk is developed with a ROM-type disk
used as a base so that, if an unrecorded area exists, a
reproduction operation cannot be carried out. Such a sit-
uation limits the freedom of a random-access operation
carried out on the write-once media.
[0022] In addition, for a disk drive or a recording/repro-
duction apparatus, an operation requested by a host
computer to write data at an address specified in the op-

eration as an address in a write-once optical disk or an
operation to read out data from such an address is a
process of a heavy load.

[0023] From what is described above, contemporary

5 write-once media or, in particular, write-once media im-
plemented by a high-density optical disk having a record-
ing capacity of at least 20 GB like the aforementioned
blue-ray disk, is required to meet the following require-
ments. The write-once media shall be capable of renew-
ing data and managing defects by execution of proper
management, improving the random accessibility, reduc-
ing the processing load borne by the recording/reproduc-
tion apparatus, keeping up with a general-purpose file
system by the capability of renewing data and maintain-

f5 ing compatibility with writable optical disks as well as re-
production-only disks.

Disclosure of Invention

20 [0024] It is thus an object of the present invention ad-
dressing such a situation to improve usability of a
write-once recording medium with a plurality of recording
layers by allowing data stored on the write-once record-
ing medium to be renewed and by executing proper man-
25 agement of defects.

[0025] A recording medium provided by the present
invention has a plurality of recording layers each includ-
ing a write once recording area allowing data to be re-
corded therein only once as an area including a regular
30 recording/reproduction area, which data is recorded into
and reproduced from, an alternate areafor recording data
in an alternate address process carried out due to a de-
fect existing in the regular recording/reproduction area
or carried out to renew existing data, a first alternate ad-
35 dress management information area for recording alter-
nate address management information for managing al-
ternate address processes each using the alternate area
and a second alternate address management infomna-
tion area for recording the alternate address manage-
^0 ment information in an updateable state in an updating
process prior to finalization. In addition, for each data unit
of the write once recording area, written/unwritten state
indication information is recorded in a predetermined ar-
ea as information indicating whetheror not data has been
45 written into the data unit.

[0026] Furthermore, the second alternate address
managementinformation areas, which are each provided
on one of the recording layers, are used sequentially one
after another each as an area for recording alternate ad-
50 dress management infonnation serving as an update.
[0027] In addition, the written/unwritten state indication
information is recorded in the second alternate address
management information areas, and the second alter-
nate address management information areas, which are
55 each provided on one of the recording layers, are used
sequentially one after another each as an area for re-
cording alternate address management information serv-
ing as an update as well as written/unwritten state indi-

EP 1 612 790 A1

cation information for each of the recording layers as an
update.

[0028] A recording apparatus provided by the present
Invention is a recording apparatus designed for the re-
cording nnedium described above. The recording appa-
ratus includes write nneans for recording data onto the
recording medium and control means. The control means
executes control to use the second alternate address
management information areas, which are each provided
on one of the recording layers, sequentially one after an-
other each as an area for recording updates when driving
the write means to carry out a write operation to update
a portion of the written/unwritten state indication informa-
tion in accordance with an operation to write data into a
data unit associated with the updated portion of the writ-
ten/unwritten state indication information and a write op-
eration to update the alternate address management in-
formation in accordance with the alternate address proc-
ess.

[0029] In addition, when drivingthe write means to car-
ry out a write operation to update a portion of the writ-
ten/unwritten state indication information in accordance

with an operation to write data and a write operation to
update the alternate address management information
in accordance with the alternate address process, the
control means executes control to include information in
the written/unwritten state indication information being
written in the second alternate address management in-
formation area to indicate that the written/unwritten state
indication information is effective written/unwritten state
indication information in the second alternate address
management information area and information in the al-
ternate address management infomnation being written
in the second alternate address management informa-
tion area to indicate that the alternate address manage-
ment information is effective alternate address manage-
ment information in the second alternate address man-
agement information area.

[0030] A reproduction apparatus provided by the
present invention is a reproduction apparatus designed
for the recording medium described above. The repro-
duction apparatus includes read means for reproducing
data from the recording medium and control means. The
control means executes control to use the second alter-
nate address management information areas, which are
each provided on one of the recording layers, sequen-
tially one after another, searches pieces of recorded al-
ternate address management information and pieces of
recorded written/unwritten state indication information for
the effective alternate address management information
and the effective written/unwritten state indication infor-
mation respectively and controls the read means to read
out data from the recording medium at a data read re-
quest on the basis of the effective alternate address man-
agement infomnation and the effective written/unwritten
state indication information.

[0031 ] A recording method provided by the present in-
vention is a recording method designed for the recording

medium described above. In the recording method, con-
trol is executed to use the second alternate address man-
agement information areas, which are each provided on
one of the recording layers, sequentially one after anoth-
5 er each as an area for recording updates in a write op-
eration to update a portion of the written/unwritten state
indication information in accordance with an operation to
write data into a data unit associated with the updated
portion of the written/unwritten state indication informa-
tion and a write operation to update the alternate address
management information in accordance with the alter-
nate address process.

[0032] In addition, in a write operation to update a por-
tion of the written/unwritten state indication information

f5 in accordance with an operation to write data into a data
unit associated with the updated portion of the written/un-
written state indication information and a write operation
to update the alternate address management information
in accordance with the alternate address process, ac-

20 cording to the recording method, control is executed to
include information in the written/unwritten state indica-
tion information being written in the second alternate ad-
dress management information area to indicate that the
written/unwritten state indication information is effective

25 written/unwritten state indication information in the sec-
ond alternate address management information area and
information in the alternate address management infor-
mation being written in the second alternate address
management information area to indicate that the alter-

30 nate address management information is effective alter-
nate address management information in the second al-
ternate address management information area.
[0033] A reproduction method provided by the present
invention is a reproduction method designed for the re-

35 cording medium described above. In accordance with
the reproduction method, control is executed to use the
second alternate address management information are-
as, which are each provided on one of the recording lay-
ers, sequentially one after another, search pieces of re-

^0 corded alternate address management information and
pieces of recorded written/unwritten state indication in-
fomriation for the effective alternate address manage-
ment infomnation and the effective written/unwritten state
indication information respectively and read out data from

45 the recording medium at a data read request on the basis
of the effective alternate address management informa-
tion and the effective written/unwritten state indication
information.

[0034] That is to say, in accordance with the present
50 invention, a write once recording medium has a plurality
of recording layers each including a regular recording/re-
production area, an alternate area, a first alternate ad-
dress management information area and a second alter-
nate address management information area. In addition,
55 written/unwritten state indication infomnation is recorded
therein. Typically, the written/unwritten state indication
information is recorded in the second alternate address
management information area.

EP 1 612 790 A1

a disk provided by the embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a diagram sliowing the contents of a DDS
of a disk provided by the embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the contents of a DFL
5 of a disk provided by the embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing defect list management
information of a DFL and TDFL of a disk provided
by the embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing alternate-address Infor-
10 mation of a DFL and TDFL of a disk provided by the
embodiment;

FIG. 9 Is an explanatory diagram showing a TDMA

of a disk provided by the embodiment;

FIG. 1 0 is an explanatory diagram showing a space

15 bitmap of a disk provided by the embodiment;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a TDFL
of a disk provided by the embodiment;
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a TDDS
of a disk provided by the embodiment;

20 FIG. 13 Is an explanatory diagram showing an ISA
and OSA of a disk provided by the embodiment;
FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a da-
ta-recording order In a TDMA of a disk provided by
the embodiment;

25 FIG. 15 Is an explanatory diagram showing a utiliza-
tion stage of a TDMA of the two-layer disk provided
by the embodiment;

FIG. 1 6 is a block diagram of a disk drive provided
by the embodiment;

30 FIG. 17 shows a flowchart representing a data-writ-
ing process provided by the embodiment;
FIG. 18 shows a flowchart representing a user-da-
ta-wrltlng process provided by the embodiment;
FIG. 1 9 shows a flowchart representing an overwrite

35 function process provided by the embodiment;

FIG. 20 shows a flowchart representing a process
of generating alternate -address information in ac-
cordance with by the embodiment;
FIG. 21 shows a flowchart representing a data-fetch-

40 ing process provided by the embodiment;

FIG. 22 shows a flowchart representing a TD-
FL/space-bltmap update process provided by the
embodiment;

FIG. 23 shows a flowchart representing a process
45 of restructuring alternate-address information in ac-
cordance with the embodiment;
FIGS. 24A, 24B and 24C are each an explanatory
diagram showing the process of restructuring alter-
nate-address information in accordance with the em-
50 bodlment; and

FIG. 25 shows a flowchart representing a process
of converting a disk provided bythe embodimentinto
a compatible disk in accordance with the embodi-
ment.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

[0035] By additionally recording alternate address
management Information related to an alternate address
process In the second alternate address management
Information area, the second alternate address manage-
ment information area can be used as an area for imple-
menting renewal of the alternate address management
Information.

[0036] In addition, for every data unit (each cluster) on
each of the recording layers on the write once recording

area, written/unwritten state indication information is
used as information indicating whether or not data has
been written into the data unit. Thus, in write once media,
defects can be managed and data can be renewed.
[0037] On the top of that, the second alternate address
management information areas, which are each provided
on one of the recording layers, are used sequentially one
after another each as an area for updating alternate ad-
dress management information and written/unwritten
state indication information. Assume for example a two
layer disk. Initially, the alternate address management
Information area for the first recording layer Is used as
an area for recording alternate address management in-
formation, written/unwritten state indication information
for the first recording layer and written/unwritten state
Indication Information for the second recording layer.
Then, the alternate address management information,
the written/unwritten state indication information the first
recording layer and the written/unwritten state Indication
information for the second recording layer are updated
from time to time as write operations are carried out there-
after. At that time, the alternate address management
information, the written/unwritten state indication infor-
mation the first recording layer and the written/unwritten
state indication information forthe second recording layer
are updated by writing data into the second alternate ad-
dress management information area for the first record-
ing layer. As the second alternate address management
Information area for the first recording layer is all used
up for updating the alternate address management infor-
mation, the written/unwritten state indication information
the first recording layer and the written/unwritten state
indication information forthe second recording layer, da-
ta is written into the second alternate address manage-
ment information area for the second recording layer to
update these pieces of information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038]

FIG. 1 Is an explanatory diagram showing the area
structure of a disk provided by an embodiment of the
present invention;

FIG. 2 Is an explanatory diagram showing the struc-
ture of a one-layer disk provided by the embodiment;
FIG. 3 Is an explanatory diagram showing the struc-
ture of a two-layer disk provided by the embodiment;
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a DMA of

[0039] The following description explains an embodl-

EP 1 612 790 A1

ment provided by the present invention as an ennbodi-
nnent implementing an optical disk and a disk drive em-
ployed in a recording apparatus and/or a reproduction
apparatus as a disk drive designed for tlie optical disk.
The description comprises chapters arranged in the fol-
lowing order:

1 : Disk Structure

2: DIVIAs

3: TDMA IVIethod

3-1:TDMAs

3-2: ISAs and OSAs

3-3: TDMA-Using Method

4: Disk Drive

5: Operations for the TDMA Method of this Embod-
iment

5-1: Data Writing
5-2: Data Fetching

5-3: Updating of the TDFL/Space Bitmap
5-4: Conversion into Compatible Disks

6: Effects of the TDMA Method of this Embodiment

1 : Disk Structure

[0040] First of all, an optical disk provided by the em-
bodiment is explained. The optical disk can be imple-
mented by a write-once optical disk referred to as the
so-called blue-ray disk. The blue-ray disk pertains to the
category of high-density optical disks.
[0041 ] Typical physical parameters of the high-density
optical disk provided by the embodiment are explained
as follows.

[0042] The disk size of the optical disk provided by the
embodiment is expressed in terms of a diameter of 120

mm and a disk thickness of 1 .2 mm. That is to say, from
the external-appearance point of view, the optical disk
provided by the embodiment is similar to a disk of a CD
(Compact Disk) system and a disk of a DVD (Digital Ver-
satile Disk) system.

[0043] As a recording/reproduction laser, the so-called
blue laser is used. By using an optical system having a
high NAof typically 0.85, setting the track pitch atasmall
value of typically 0.32 microns and setting the line density
at a high value of typically 0. 1 2 microns per bit, it is pos-
sible to implement a user-data storage capacity of about
23 Gbyte to 25 Gbyte for an optical disk with a diameter
of 12 cm.

[0044] In addition, a two-layer disk is also developed.
A two-layer disk is an optical disk having two recording
layers. In the case of a two-layer disk, a user-data ca-
pacity of about 50G can be achieved.
[0045] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the
layout (or the area structure) of the entire disk.
[0046] The recording area of the disk includes a lead-in

zone on the innermost circumference, a data zone on a
middle circumference and a lead-out zone on the outer-
most circumference.

[0047] The lead-in zone, the data zone and the

5 lead-out zone serve as recording and reproduction areas
as follows. A prerecorded information area PIC on the
innermost side of the lead-in zone is a reproduction-only
area. An area starting with a management/control infor-
mation area of the lead-in zone and ending with the

10 lead-out zone is used as a write-once area allowing data
to be written therein only once.

[0048] In the rep reduction -only area and the
write-once area, a spiral recording track is created as a
wobbling groove. The wobbling groove serves asatrack-
15 ing guide in a tracing operation using a laser spot. The
wobbling groove is thus a recording track, which data is
recorded onto or read out from.

[0049] It is to be noted that, this embodiment assumes
an optical disk allowing data to be recorded on the

20 groove. However, the scope of the present invention is
not limited to the optical disk with such a recording track.
For example, the present invention can also be applied
to an optical disk adopting a land recording-technique
whereby data is recorded on a land between two adjacent

25 grooves. In addition, the present invention can also be
applied to an optical disk adopting a land/groove record-
ing-technique whereby data is recorded on a land and a
groove.

[0050] In addition, the groove used as a recording track

30 in an optical disk has a shape wobbled by a wobbling
signal. Thus, a disk drive for such an optical disk detects
both edge positions of the groove from a reflected light
beam of a laser spot radiated to the groove. Then, by
extracting components fluctuating in the radial direction

35 of the disk as fluctuations of both the edge positions in
an operation to move the laser spot along the recording
track, the wobble signal can be reproduced.
[0051] This wobble signal is modulated by information
on addresses of recording locations on the recording

40 track. The information on addresses includes physical
addresses and other additional information. Thus, by de-
modulating the wobble signal to produce the information
on addresses, the disk drive is capable of controlling ad-
dresses, at which data are to be recorded or reproduced.

45 [0052] The lead-in zone shown in FIG. 1 is an area on
the inner side a circumference having a typical radius of
24 mm.

[0053] An area between a circumference with a radius
of 22.2 mm and a circumference with a radius of 23.1
50 mm in the lead-in zone is the prerecorded information
area PIC.

[0054] The prerecorded information area PIC is used
for storing rep reduction -only information as the wobbling
state of the groove. The rep reduction -only infonnation
55 includes disk infonnation such as recording/reproduction
power conditions, information on areas on the disk and
information used for copy protection. It is to be noted that
these pieces of information can also be recorded on the

EP 1 612 790 A1

disk as emboss pits or tine like.

[0055] A BCA (Burst Cutting Area) not shown in the
figure nnay be provided on a circumference on the inner
side of the prerecorded information area PIC in some
cases. The BOA is used for storing a unique ID peculiar
to the disk recording medium in such a state that the ID
cannot be renewed. The unique ID is recorded marks
created in a concentric-circle shape to form recorded da-
ta in a bar-code format.

[0056] An area between a circumference with a radius
of 23.1 mm and a circumference with a radius of 24.0
mm in the lead-in zone is a management/control infor-
mation area.

[0057] The management/control information area has
a predetermined area format to include a control data
area, a DMA (Defect Management Area), a TDM A (Tem-
porary Defect Management Area), a test write area
(OPC) and a buffer area.

[0058] The control data area included in the manage-
ment/control information area is used for recording man-
agement/control information such as a disk type, a disk
size, a disk version, a layer structure, a channel-bit
length, BCA information, a transfer rate, data-zone posi-
tion information, a recording line speed and recording/re-
production laser power information.
[0059] The test write area (OPC) included in the man-
agement/control information area is used for atrial writing
process carried out in setting data recording/reproduc-
tion conditions such as a laser power to be used in re-
cording/reproduction operations. That is, the test write
area is a region for adjusting the recording/reproduction
conditions.

[0060] In the case of an ordinary optical disk, the DMA
included in the management/control information area is
used for recording alternate-address management infor-
mation for managing defects. In the case of a write-once
optical disk provided by the embodiment, however, the
DMA is used for recording not only the alternate-address
management information of defects but also manage-
ment/control information for implementing data renewals
in the optical disk. In this case, particularly, the DMA is
used for recording ISA management information and
OSA management information, which will be described
later.

[0061] In order to make renewal of data possible by
making use of an alternate-address process, the con-
tents of the DMA must also be updated when data is
renewed. For updating the contents of the DMA, the TD-
MA is provided.

[0062] Alternate-address management information is
added and/or recorded in the TDM A and updated from

time to time. Last (most recent) alternate-address man-
agement information recorded in the TDMA is eventually
transferred to the DMA.

[0063] The DMA and the TDMA will be described later
in detail.

[0064] The area on the circumferences with radii in the
range 24.0 to 58.0 mm external to the lead-in zone is

used as a data zone. The data zone is an area, which
user data is actually recorded into and reproduced from.
The start address ADdts and end address ADdte of the
data zone are included in the data zone position infor-
5 mation recorded in the control data area described ear-
lier.

[0065] An ISA (Inner Spare Area) is provided on the
innermost circumference of the data zone. On the other
hand, an OSA (Outer Spare Area) is provided on the

outermost circumference of the data zone. As will be de-
scribed later, the ISA and the OSA are each used as an
alternate area provided for defects and for implementing
data renewals (overwriting).

[0066] The ISA begins from the start position of the
f5 data zone and includes a predetermined number of clus-
ters each having a size of 65,536 bytes.
[0067] On the other hand, the OSA includes a prede-
termined number of clusters, which terminate at the end
position of the data zone. The sizes of the ISA and the
20 OSA are described in the DMA.

[0068] A user-data area in the data zone is an area
sandwiched by the ISA and the OSA. This user-data area
is an ordinary recording/reproduction area, which user
data is generally recorded into and reproduced from.
25 [0069] The start address ADus and end address ADue
of the user-data area define the location of the user-data
area and are recorded in the DMA.
[0070] The area on the circumferences with radii in the
range 58.0 to 58.5 mm external to the data zone is the
30 lead-out zone. The lead-out zone is a management/con-
trol information area having a predetermined format to
include a control data area, a DMA and a buffer area.
Much like the control data area included in the lead-in
zone, the control data area of the lead-out zone is used
35 for storing various kinds of management/control informa-
tion. By the same token, much like the DMA included in
the lead-in zone, the DMA of the lead-out zone is used
as an area for recording management infonnation of the
ISA and management information of the OSA.
^0 [0071] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing atypical structure
of the management/control information area on a
one-layer disk having only one recording layer.
[0072] As shown in the figure, in addition to undefined
segments (reserved segments), the lead-in zone in-
45 eludes a variety of areas such as DMA 2, an OPC (a test
write area), a TDMA and DMA 1 . On the other hand, in
addition to undefined segments (reserved segments),
the lead-out zone includes a variety of areas such as
DMAS and DMA 4.
50 [0073] It is to be noted that the control data area de-
scribed above is not shown in the figure. This is because,
in actuality, a portion of the control data area is used as
a DMA for example. Since the structure of a DMA is an
essential of the present invention, the control data area
55 is not shown in the figure.

[0074] As described above, the lead-in and lead-out
zones include four DMAs, i.e., DMA 1 to DMA 4. DMA 1
to DMA 4 are each used as an area for recording the

EP 1 612 790 A1

same alternate-address management information.
[0075] However, a TDMA is provided as an area used
for temporarily recording alternate-address manage-
ment information and, every time an alternate-address
process is carried out due to renewal of data or a defect,
new alternate-address management information is addi-
tionally recorded in the TDMA to update the information
already recorded therein.

[0076] Thus, till the disk is finalized, for example, the
DMAs are not used. Instead, the alternate-address man-
agement is carried out and new alternate-address man-
agement infomnation is added to the TDMA and/or re-
corded in the TDM A. As the disl< is finalized, alternate-ad-
dress management information recorded on the TDMA
most recently is transferred to the DMAs so that the al-
ternate-address process based on the DMA can be car-
ried out.

[0077] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a two-layer disk
having two recording layers. The first recording layer is
referred to as layer 0 and the second recording layer is
called layer 1 . Data is recorded onto and reproduced from
layer 0 in a direction from the inner side of the disk to the
outer side thereof, as same as in the case of one-layer
disk. On the other hand, data is recorded onto and re-
produced from layer 1 in a direction from the outer side
of the disk to the inner side thereof.
[0078] The value of the physical address increases in
the directions. That is to say, the value of the physical
address on layer 0 increases in the direction from the
inner side of the disk to the outer side thereof, and the
value of the physical address on layer 1 increases in the
direction from the outer side of the disk to the inner side
thereof.

[0079] Much like the one-layer disk, the lead-in zone
on layer 0 includes a variety of areas such as DMA 2, an
OPC (a test write area), TDMA 0 and DMA 1 . Since the
outermost circumference on layer 0 is not a lead-out
zone, it is referred to simply as outer zone 0, which in-
cludes DMA 3 and DMA 4.

[0080] The outermost circumference on layer 1 is re-
ferred to simply as outer zone 1, which includes DMAS
and DMA 4. The innermost circumference of layer 1 is a
lead-out zone, which includes a variety of areas such as
DMA 2, an OPC (a test write area), TDMA 1 and DMA 1 .
[0081] As described above, the lead-in zone, outer
zones 0 and 1 and the lead-out zone include eight DMAs.
In addition, each of the recording layers includes aTDMA.
[0082] The size of the lead-in zone on layer 0 and the
size of the lead-out zone on layer 1 are equal to the size
of the lead-in zone on the one-layer disk. On the other
hand, the sizes of outer zones 0 and 1 are equal to the
size of the lead-out zone on the one-layer disk.

2: DMAs

[0083] The data structure of each DMA recorded in the

lead-in zone and the lead-out zone is explained below.
In the case of a two-layer disk, the DMAs also include

the DMAs in outer zones 0 and 1 .

[0084] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the

DMA.

[0085] The size of the DMA shown in the figure is 32
5 clusters (= 32 x 65,536 bytes). It is to be noted that a
cluster is the smallest data-recording unit. Of course, the
size of a DMA is not limited to 32 clusters. In FIG. 4, the
32 clusters are Identified by cluster numbers 1 to 32,
which each indicate a data position of each content of
^0 the DMA. The size of each content is expressed as a
cluster count.

[0086] In the DMA, cluster numbers 1 to 4 identify four

clusters forming a segment for recording a DDS (disc
definition structure), which describes the disc in detail.
15 [0087] The contents of the DDS will be described later
by referring to FIG. 5. In actually, since the size of the
DDS is one cluster, four identical DDSes are recorded in
the segment.

[0088] Cluster numbers 5 to 8 identify four clusters
20 fomning a segment for recording DFL #1, which is the
first recording area of a DFL (defect list). The data struc-
ture of the defect list will be described later by referring
to FIG. 6. The size of data stored in the defect list is four
clusters forming a list of information on alternate address-
es es.

[0089] Cluster numbers 9 to 12 identify four clusters
forming a segment for recording DFL #2, which is the
second recording area of the defect list. The second re-
cording area is followed by the third and subsequent re-
30 cording areas DFL #3 to DFL #6, which each have a size
of four clusters. The four-cluster segment DFL #7 used
as the seventh recording area ofthe defect list is identified
by cluster numbers 29 to 32.

[0090] As is obvious from the above description, the
35 DMA having a size of 32 clusters includes seven record-
ing areas ofthe defect list, i.e., DFL #1 to DFL #7.
[0091] In a write-once optical disk allowing data to be
recorded therein once as is the case with the disk pro-
vided by the embodiment, in order to record contents of
40 a DMA, it is necessary to carry out a process referred to
as 'finalize'. In this case, the same contents are recorded
in seven recording areas DFL #1 to DFL #7.
[0092] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the data structure
of the contents of the DDS recorded at the beginning of
45 the DMA shown in FIG. 4. As described above, the DDS
has a size of one cluster (= 65,536 bytes).
[0093] In the figure, byte 0 is the position of the begin-
ning of the DDS having a size of 65,536 bytes. A
byte-count column shows the number of bytes included
50 in each data content.

[0094] Two bytes indicated by byte positions 0 to 1 are
used as bytes for recording "DS", which is a DDS identifier
indicating that this cluster is the DDS.
[0095] One byte indicated by byte position 2 is used
55 as a byte for recording a DDS format number of the ver-
sion of the DDS format.

[0096] Four bytes indicated by byte positions 4 to 7 are
used as bytes for recording the number of times the DDS

EP 1 612 790 A1

has been updated. It is to be noted that, In this embodi-
nnent, in the finalize process, alternate-address manage-
ment information is additionally written into the DMA itself
instead of being used for updating the DMA. The alter-
nate-address management information is stored in the
TDMA before being written into the DMA in the finalize
process. Thus, when the finalize process is eventually
carried out, aTDDS (temporary DDS) of the TDMA con-
tains the number of times the TDDS has been updated.
The aforementioned number of times the DDS has been
updated is the number of times the TDDS has been up-
dated.

[0097] Four bytes indicated by byte positions 1 6 to 1 9
are used as bytes for recording AD_DRV, which is the
start physical sector address of a drive area in the DMA.
[0098] Four bytes indicated by byte positions 24 to 27
are used as bytes for recording AD_DFL, which is the
start physical sector address of a defect list DFL in the
DMA.

[0099] Four bytes indicated by byte positions 32 to 35
are used as bytes for recording a PSN (physical sector
number or a physical sector address) of the start position
of the user-data area in the data zone. That is to say, the
four bytes are used as bytes for recording a PSN indi-
cating the position of an LSN (logical sector number) of 0.
[01 00] Four bytes indicated by byte positions 36 to 39
are used as bytes for recording an LSN (logical sector
number) of the end position of the user-data area in the
data zone.

[01 01 ] Four bytes indicated by byte positions 40 to 43
are used as bytes for recording the size of the ISA in the
data zone. The ISA is the ISA of a one-layer disk or the
ISA on layer 0 of a two-layer disk.
[01 02] Four bytes indicated by byte positions 44 to 47
are used as bytes for recording the size of each OSA in
the data zone.

[01 03] Four bytes indicated by byte positions 48 to 51
are used as bytes for recording the size of the ISA in the
data zone. The ISA is the ISA on layer 1 of a two-layer
disk.

[0104] One byte indicated by byte position 52 is used
as a byte for recording spare area full flags showing
whether or not data can be renewed by using an ISA or
an OSA. That is to say, the spare area full flag are used
to indicate that the ISA and the OSA are being used en-
tirely.

[0105] Byte positions other than the byte positions de-
scribed above are reserved (or undefined) and all filled
with codes of OOh.

[0106] As described above, the DDS is used as an
area for storing the addresses of the user-data area, the
sizes of each ISA and each OSA and spare area full flags.
That is to say, the DDS is used for storing information for
managing and controlling areas of each ISA and each
OSA in the data zone.

[0107] Next, the data structure of the defect list DFL is

explained by referring to FIG. 6. As explained earlier by
referring to FIG. 4, the defect list DFL is recorded in an

area having a size of four clusters.
[01 08] In the defect list DFLshown in FIG. 6, a byte-po-
sition column shows data positions of each data content
of the defect list having a size of four clusters. It is to be
5 noted that one cluster is 32 sectors occupying 65,536
bytes. Thus, one sector has a size of 2,048 bytes.
[01 09] A byte-cou nt col um n sh ows the n umber of bytes
composing each data content.

[01 10] The first 64 bytes of the defect list DFL are used
as bytes for recording management information of the
defect list DFL. The management information of the de-
fect list DFL includes information indicating that this clus-
ter is the defect list DFL, a version, the number of times
the defect list DFL has been updated and the number of

^5 entries forming the defect list DFL.

[0111] The bytes following the 64*"^ byte are used as
bytes for recording contents of each entry of the defect
list DFL. Each entry Is alternate-address information ati
having a length of eight bytes.

20 [0112] A terminator having a length of eight bytes
serves as an alternate-address end immediately follow-
ing ati #N, which is the last one of pieces of effective
alternate-address information.

[0113] In this DFL, an area following the alternate-ad-
25 dress end is filled up with OOh codes till the end of the
clusters.

[0114] The defect-list management information having

a length of 64 bytes is shown in FIG. 7.

[0115] Two bytes starting with a byte at byte position

30 0 are used as bytes for recording a character string DF
representing the identifier of the defect list DFL.
[0116] One byte at byte position 2 is used as a byte
for recording the fomriat number of the defect list DFL.
[01 1 7] Four bytes starting with a byte at byte position

35 4 are used as bytes for recording the number of times
the defect list DFL has been updated. It is to be noted
that this value is actually the number of times the TDFL
(temporary defect list) to be described later has been
updated and, thus, a value transferred from the TDFL.

40 [01 1 8] Four bytes starting with a byte at byte position
1 2 are used as bytes for recording the number of entries
in the defect list DFL, that is, the number of pieces of
alternate-address information ati.
[01 1 9] Four bytes starting with a byte at byte position

45 24 are used as bytes for recording cluster counts indi-
cating the sizes of free areas available in the alternate
areas ISA 0, ISA 1 , OSA 0 and OSA 1 .
[01 20] Byte positions other than the byte positions de-
scribed above are reserved and all filled with codes of

50 OOh.

[0121] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the data structure
of an alternate-address information ati. The data struc-
ture includes information showing the contents of an en-
try completing an alternate-address process.
55 [0122] In the case of a one-layer disk, the total number
of pieces of alternate-address information ati can be up
to a maximum of 32,759.

[01 23] Each piece of alternate-address information ati

EP 1 612 790 A1

comprises eight bytes (or 64 bits, i.e., bits b63 to bO). Bits
b63 to b60 are used as bits for recording status 1 , which
is the status of the entry. In the defect list DFL, the status
is set at a value of '0000' indicating an ordinary alter-
nate-address process entry. Other values of the status
will be explained later in a description of the alternate
address in the TDFL of the TDMA.
[0124] Bits b59 to b32 are used as bits for recording
the PSN (physical sector address) of the first sector in
an alternate source cluster. That is to say, in this data
structure, a cluster subjected to an alternate-address
process due to a defect or renewal of data is expressed
by the physical sector address PSN of the first sector of
the cluster.

[0125] Bits b31 to b28 are reserved. It is to be noted
that these bits can also be used as bits for recording
status 2, which is other status in this entry.
[0126] Bits b27to bO are used as bits for recording the
physical sector address PSN of the first sector in an al-
ternate destination cluster. That is to say, in this data
structure, a destination cluster required in an alter-
nate-address process due to a defect or renewal of data
is expressed by the physical sector address PSN of the
first sector of the cluster.

[0127] As described above, the alternate-address in-
formation ati is treated as an entry showing an alternate
source cluster and an alternate destination cluster. Then,
such an entry is cataloged in the defect list DFL having
a structure shown in FIG. 6.

[0128] In the DMA, infonnation on an alternate-ad-
dress management information is recorded in a data
structure like the one described above. As explained
above, however, these kinds of information are recorded
in a process to finalize the disk. In this process, most
recent information on an alternate-address management
information is transferred from the TDMA to the DMA.
[0129] Information on defect processing and informa-
tion on an alternate-address management carried out
due to renewal of data are recorded in the TDMA de-
scribed below and updated from time to time.

3: TDMA Method

3-1 : TDMAs

[0130] The following description explains the TDMA

(temporary DMA) provided in the management/control
information area as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Much like
the DMA, the TDMA is used as an area for recording
information on alternate-address processes. Every time
an alternate-address process is carried out to follow re-
newal of data or follow detection of a defect, information
on the alternate-address process is added to the TDMA
or recorded in the TDMA as an update.
[0131] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the data structure
of the TDMA.

[01 32] The size of the TDMA is typically 2,048 clusters.
As shown in the figure, the first cluster indicated by a

cluster number of 1 is used as a cluster for recording a
space bitmap for layer 0. A space bitmap comprises bits
each representing a cluster of a main data area including
the data zone as well as a management/control area in-

5 eluding the lead-in zone and the lead-out zone (and the
outer zones in the case of a two-layer disk). The value
of each bit is write existence/non-existence information
indicating whether or not data has been written into a
cluster represented by the bit. All clusters ranging from
the lead-in zone to the lead-outzone (including the outer
zones in the case of a two-layer disk) are each repre-
sented by a bit of the space bitmap as described above,
and the size of the space bitmap itself is one cluster.
[0133] A cluster indicated by a cluster number of 2 is

f5 used as a cluster for recording a space bitmap for layer
1 (or the second layer). It is to be noted that, in the case
of a one-layer disk, a space bitmap for layer 1 is of course
unnecessary.

[0134] If an alternate-address process is carried out
20 in, for example, an operation to change data contents, a
TDFL (temporary defect list) is additionally recorded to
a cluster at the beginning of an unrecorded area in the
TDMA. Thus, in the case of a two-layer disk, the first
TDFL is recorded in an area starting from the position
25 indicated by a cluster number of 3 as shown in the figure.
In the case of a one-layer disk, a space bitmap for layer
1 is not necessary as described above. Thus, the first
TDFL is recorded in an area starting from the position
indicated by a cluster number of 2. Then, every time an
30 alternate-address process is carried out thereafter, a TD-
FL is additionally recorded at a subsequent cluster posi-
tion without providing a gap between the subsequent
cluster position and the preceding cluster position.
[0135] The size of a TDFL is in the range 1 to up to 4
35 clusters. Since a space bitmap shows recording states
of clusters, the bitmap is updated every time data is writ-
ten into any of the clusters to update the cluster. When
the space bitmap is updated, much like a TDFL, a new
space bitmap is additionally recorded in a TDMA area
40 starting from the beginning of a free area in the TDMA.
[0136] That is to say, a space bitmap and/or a TDFL
is additionally recorded in the TDMA from time to time.
[0137] It is to be noted that the configurations of a
space bitmap and a TDFL will be described later. Any-
45 way, a TDDS (temporary disc definition structure) is re-
corded in the last 2,048-byte sector of a cluster used for
recording a space bitmap and the last 2,048-byte sector
of 1 to 4 clusters used for recording a TDFL. The TDDS
is detailed information on the optical disk.
50 [0138] FIG. 1 0 is a diagram showing the data structure
of a space bitmap.

[01 39] As described above, each bit of a space bitmap
represents the recording state of one cluster on the disk,
that is, each bit indicates whether or not data has been
55 recorded in the cluster represented thereby. For exam-
ple, if data has not been recorded in a cluster, a bit rep-
resenting the cluster is set at 1 . It is to be noted that, in
the case of a two-layer disk, a space bitmap is provided

EP 1 612 790 A1

for each layer and information recorded in one of tine
space bitmaps is independent of infomriation recorded in
the other space bitmap.

[01 40] For one sector = 2,048 bytes, clusters on a layer

having a storage capacity of 25 GB can be represented
by a space bitmap with a size of 25 sectors. Since one
cluster comprises 32 sectors, the space bitmap itself can
be formed from one cluster.

[0141] In the data structure of a space bitmap shown

in FIG. 10, a cluster allocated as the bitmap comprises
32 sectors, i.e., sectors 0 to 31. A byte-position column
shows byte positions of each of the sectors.
[0142] Sector 0 at the beginning of the space bitmap
is used as a sector for recording management informa-
tion of the bitmap.

[0143] Two bytes at byte positions 0 and 1 in sector 0
are used as bytes for recording an UB, which is an un-
allocated space bitmap ID (identifier).
[0144] One byte at byte position 2 is used as a byte
for recording a fomnat version such as a version of OOh.
[01 45] Four bytes starting from byte position 4 are used
as bytes for recording a layer number indicating whether
this space bitmap corresponds to layer 0 or layer 1 .
[01 46] 48 bytes starting from byte position 1 6 are used
as bytes for recording bitmap information.
[0147] The bitmap information comprises pieces of
zone information for three zones, i.e., the inner zone, the
data zone and the outer zone. The pieces of zone infor-
mation are zone information for the inner zone, zone in-
formation for the data zone and zone information for the
outer zone.

[01 48] The size of each of the pieces of zone informa-
tion is 1 6 bytes. Each of the pieces of zone information
comprises a start cluster first PSN, a start byte position
of bitmap data, a validate bit length in bitmap data and a
reserved area, which each have a size of four bytes.
[0149] The start cluster first PSN is a PSN (physical
sector address) indicating a start position of the zone on
the disk. That is to say, the PSN is a start address, which
is used when the zone is mapped onto the space bitmap.
[0150] The start byte position of bitmap data is a byte
count indicating the start position of bitmap data for the
zone as a position relative to the unallocated space bit
map identifier located at the beginning of the space bit
map.

[0151] The validate bit length in bitmap data is also a
byte count representing the amount of bitmap data of the
zone.

[0152] Actual bitmap data is recorded on sector 1 in
an area starting from byte position 0 of the sector. Sector
1 is the second sector of the space bitmap. In this area,
one sector of the space bitmap represents 1GB data.
The actual bitmap data is followed by reserved areas
ending with an area immediately preceding sector 31 ,
which is the last sector of the space bitmap. The reserved
areas are filled with codes of OOh.
[01 53] Sector 31 , which is the last sector of the space
bitmap, is used as a sector for recording a TDDS.

[0154] The pieces of bitmap information described
above are managed as follows. First of all, the description
explains a space bitmap with the layer number at byte
position 4 indicating layer 0. That is to say, the description

5 explains a space bitmap for a one-layer disk or a space
bitmap for layer 0 of a two-layer disk.
[0155] In this case, the zone information for the inner
zone is information for the inner zone of layer 0, that is,
information for a lead-in zone.

10 [01 56] The start cluster first PSN of the zone is a PSN
of the start position of the lead-in zone as shown by a
solid-line arrow.

[0157] The start byte position of bitmap data is used
for recording information indicating the position of bitmap
^5 data corresponding to the lead-in zone in the space bit-
map as shown by a dashed-line arrow, that is, information
indicating byte position 0 of sector 1 .
[0158] The value of the validate bit length in bitmap
data is the size of the bitmap data for the lead-in zone.
20 [0159] The zone infomriation for the data zone is infor-
mation on the data zone of layer 0.
[01 60] The start cluster first PSN of the zone is a PSN
of the start position of the data zone as shown by a sol-
id-line arrow.

25 [0161] The start byte position of bit map data is used
for recording information indicating the position of bitmap
data corresponding to the data zone in the space bitmap
as shown by a dashed-line arrow, that is, information
indicating byte position 0 of sector 2.
30 [0162] The value of the validate bit length in bitmap
data is the size of the bitmap data for the data zone.
[0163] The zone information for the outer zone is in-
fomriation for the outer zone of layer 0, that is, infomriation
for a lead-out zone on a one-layer disk or outer zone 0
35 of a two- layer disk.

[01 64] The start cluster first PSN of the zone is a PSN
of the start position of the lead-out zone or outer zone 0
as shown by a solid-line arrow.

[0165] The start byte position of bitmap data is used
^0 for recording information indicating the position of bitmap
data corresponding to the lead-out zone (or outer zone
0) in the space bitmap as shown by a dashed-line arrow,
that is, infomriation indicating byte position 0 of sector N.
[0166] The value of the validate bit length in bitmap
45 data is the size of the bitmap data for the lead-out zone
or outer zone 0.

[0167] Next, the description explains a space bitmap
with the layer number at byte position 4 indicating layer
1 . That is to say, the description explains a space bitmap
50 for layer 1 of a two-layer disk.

[0168] In this case, the zone information for the inner
zone is information for the inner zone of layer 1 , that is,
information for a lead-out zone.

[01 69] The start cluster first PSN of the zone is a PSN
55 of the start position of the lead-out zone as shown by a
dotted-line arrow. Since the address direction on layer 1

is a directionfrom an outersldeto an innerside, a position
indicated by the dotted-line arrow is a start position.

EP 1 612 790 A1

[0170] The start byte position of bit map data is used
for recording information indicating the position of bitmap
data corresponding to the lead-out zone in the space
bitmap as shown by a dashed-line arrow, that is, infor-
mation indicating byte position 0 of sector 1.
[0171] The value of the validate bit length in bitmap
data is the size of the bitmap data for the lead-out zone.
[01 72] The zone information for the data zone is infor-
mation on the data zone of layer 1 .
[01 73] The start cluster first PSN of the zone is a PSN
of the start position of the data zone as shown by a dot-
ted-line arrow.

[0174] The start byte position of bitmap data is used
for recording information indicating the position of bitmap
data corresponding to the data zone in the space bitmap
as shown by a dashed-line arrow, that is, information
indicating byte position 0 of sector 2.
[0175] The value of the validate bit length in bitmap
data is the size of the bitmap data for the data zone.
[0176] The zone information for the outer zone is in-
formation for the outer zone 1 of layer 1 .
[01 77] The start cluster first PSN of the zone is a PSN
of the start position of the outer zone 1 as shown by a
dotted-line arrow.

[0178] The start byte position of bitmap data is used

for recording information indicating the position of bitmap
data corresponding to outer zone 1 in the space bitmap
as shown by a dashed-line arrow. The information is in-
formation indicating byte position 0 of sector N.
[0179] The value of the validate bit length in bitmap
data is the size of the bitmap data for outer zone 1 .
[01 80] Next, the data structure of a TDFL is explained.
As described above, a TDFL is recorded in a free area
following a space bitmap in a TDMA. Every time an up-
dating operation is carried out, a TDFL is recorded at the
beginning of the remaining free area.
[0181] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the data structure
of a TDFL

[0182] The TDFL comprises 1 to 4 clusters. By com-
paring with the DFL shown in FIG. 6, it is obvious that
the contents of the TDFL are similar to those of the DFL
in that the first 64 bytes of the defect list are used as
bytes for recording management information of the defect
list, the bytes following the 64*'^ byte are used as bytes
for recording contents of pieces of alternate-address in-
formation ati each having a length of 8 bytes, and a ter-
minator having a length of 8 bytes serves as an alter-
nate-address end immediately following ati #N, which is
the last one of pieces of effective alternate-address in-
formation.

[01 83] However, the TDFL composed of 1 to 4 clusters

is different from the DFL in that a DDS (or a TDDS) Is
recorded in 2,048 bytes composing the last sector of the
TDFL.

[0184] It is to be noted that, in the case of the TDFL,
an area preceding the last sector of a cluster to which

the alternate-address information terminator pertains Is
filled up with codes of OOh. As described above, the last

sector is used as a sector for recording a TDDS. If the
alternate-address information terminator pertains to the
last sector of a specific cluster, an area between the spe-
cific cluster and the last sector of a cluster immediately
5 preceding the specific cluster is filled up with codes of 0
and the last sector of the immediately preceding cluster
is used as a sector for recording a TDDS.
[0185] The defect-list management information having
a size of 64 bytes is identical with the defect-list manage-
fo ment Information explained earlier by referring to FIG. 7
as information included in of the defect list DFL.
[0186] However, as the number of times the defect list
has been updated, the four bytes starting with a byte at
byte position 4 are used as bytes for recording the se-
quence number of the defect list. That is to say, a se-
quence number included in defect-list management in-
formation in a most recent TDFL is the number of times
the defect list has been updated.
[0187] Besides, the four bytes starting with a byte at
20 byte position 12 are used as bytes for recording the
number of entries, that is, the number of pieces of alter-
nate-address information ati. In addition, the four bytes
starting with a byte at byte position 24 are used as bytes
for recording values of clustercounts atthetimetheTDFL
25 is updated. This cluster counts represent the sizes of free
areas available in the alternate areas ISA 0, ISA 1 , OSA
0 and OSA 1 .

[0188] The data structure of the alternate-address in-
formation ati in the TDFL is similar to the data structure
30 shown in FIG. 8 as the structure of the alternate-address
information ati in the DFL. The alternate-address infor-
mation ati is included in the TDFL as an entry showing
an alternate source cluster and an alternate destination
cluster, which are involved in an alternate-address proc-
35 ess. Such an entry is cataloged in the temporary defect
list TDFL having a data structure shown in FIG. 1 1 .
[0189] In the case of the TDFL, however, the value of
status 1 included in the alternate-address information ati
in the TDFL may have a value of 01 01 or 1 01 0 in addition
40 to 0000.

[0190] Status 1 having a value of 0101 or 1010 indi-
cates that an alternate-address process carried out on a
plurality of physically continuous clusters is a burst trans-
fer process, which handles the clusters collectively.
45 [0191] To be more specific, status 1 having a value of
0101 indicates that the start sector physical address of
an alternate source cluster and the start sector physical
address of an alternate destination cluster, which are in-
cluded in the alternate-address information ati, are re-
50 spectively the physical address of the first sector in the
first cluster of the physically continuous clusters serving
as the alternate source and the physical address of the
first sector in the first cluster of the physically continuous
clusters serving as the alternate destination.
55 [0192] On the other hand, status 1 having a value of
1 01 0 indicates that the start sector physical address of
an alternate source cluster and the start sector physical
address of an alternate destination cluster, which are in-

EP 1 612 790 A1

eluded in the alternate-address infornnation ati are re-
spectively the physical address of the first sector in the
last cluster of the physically continuous clusters serving
as the alternate source and the physical address of the
first sector in the last cluster of the physically continuous
clusters serving as the alternate destination.
[0193] Thus, in an alternate-address process collec-
tively treating a plurality of physically continuous clusters,
it is not necessary to catalog an entry describing the al-
ternate-address information ati for each of all the clusters.
Instead, it is necessary to specify only one entry of alter-
nate-address Infornnation ati Including two physical ad-
dresses of first sectors in first clusters and another entry
of alternate-address infornnation ati including two physi-
cal addresses of first sectors In last clusters as described
above.

[01 94] As described above, basically, the TDFL has a

data structure identical with that of a DFL. However, the
TDFL is characterized in that the size of the TDFL can
be extended to up to four clusters, the last sector Is used
as a sector for recording a TDDS, and nnanagennent of
burst transfers can be executed by using alternate-ad-
dress infornnation ati.

[0195] As shown in FIG. 9, the TDM A is used as an
area for recording space bitnnaps and TDFLs. As de-
scribed earlier, however, the 2,048-byte last sector of
each of the space bitnnaps and each of the TDFLs is used
as a sector for receding a TDDS (tennporary disc defini-
tion structure).

[0196] FIG. 12 Is a diagram showing the structure of
the TDDS.

[0197] The TDDS occupies one sector having a size
of 2,048 bytes. The TDDS has the same contents as the
DDS in a DMA. It is to be noted that, even though the
DDS has a size of one clusterconsisting of 65,536 bytes,
only a portion not beyond byte position 52 is virtually de-
fined as contents of the DDS as explained earlier by re-
ferring to FIG. 5. That Is to say, actual contents are re-
corded in the first sector of the cluster. Thus, in spite of
the fact that the TDDS has a size of only one sector, the
TDDS covers all the contents of the DDS.
[0198] As is obvious from comparison of FIG. 12 with
FIG. 5, contents of the TDDS at byte positions 0 to 53
are identical with those of the DDS. It is to be noted,
however, that bytes starting from byte position 4 are used
as bytes for recording the sequence number of theTDDS,
bytes starting from byte position 1 6 are used as bytes for
recording the physical address of the first sector in a drive
area in the TDMA and bytes starting from byte position
24 are used as bytes for recording the physical address
AD_DFL of the first sector of the TDFL in the TDMA.
[0199] Bytes at byte position 1,024 and subsequent
byte positions in the TDDS are used as bytes for record-
ing Information, which does not exist In the DDS.
[0200] Four bytes starting from byte position 1 ,024 are
used as bytes for recording the physical address LRA of
a sector on an outermost circumference included in the
user-data area as a circumference on which user data

has been recorded.

[0201 ] Four bytes starting from byte position 1 ,028 are
used as bytes for recording the physical address
AD_BPO of the first sector in a most recent space bitmap

5 for layer 0 in the TDMA.

[0202] Four bytes starting from byte position 1 ,032 are
used as bytes for recording the physical address
AD_BP1 of the first sector In a most recent space bitmap
for layer 1 in the TDMA.

10 [0203] One byte at byte position 1,036 is used as a
byte for recording a flag for controlling the use of an over-
write function.

[0204] Bytes at byte positions other than the byte po-
sitions described above are reserved and filled with
f5 codes of OOh.

[0205] As described above, the TDDS includes ad-
dresses in the user-data area, ISA and OSA sizes and
spare area full flags. That is to say, the TDDS includes
management/control information for managing ISAs and
20 OSAs In the data zone. At this point, the TDDS Is similar
to the DDS.

[0206] Also as described above, the TDDS also in-
cludes pieces of information such asthe physical address
AD_BPO of the first sector in the effective most recent
25 space bitmap for layer 0, the physical address AD_BP1
of the first sector in the effective most recent space bit-
map for layer 1 and the physical address AD_DFL of the
first sector in the effective most recent TDFL (temporary
DFL).

30 [0207] Since a TDDS is recorded in the last sector of
the space bitmap and the last sector of the TDFL every
time a space bitmap or a TDFL is added, the recorded
TDDS Is a new TDDS. Thus, in the TDMA shown In FIG.
9, a TDDS Included in a space bitmap added last or a
35 TDDS included in a TDFL added last is the most recent
TDDS. In the most recent TDDS, the most recent space
bitmap and the most recent TDFL are shown.

3-2: ISAs and OSAs

[0208] FIG . 1 3 is a diagram showing positions of each
ISA and each OSA.

[0209] An ISA (inner space area) and an OSA (outer
space area) are each an area allocated in the data zone
45 as an alternate area used in an alternate-address proc-
ess carried out on a defective cluster.
[0210] In addition, an ISA or an OSA is also used in
an operation to write new data into a desired address as
an alternate area for actually recording the new data sup-
so posed to be written into the desired address, at which
other data has been recorded previously. The operation
to write the new data into the desired address is thus an
operation to renew the other data with the new data.
[021 1 ] FIG . 1 3A is a diagram showing the positions of
55 an ISA and an OSA on a one-layer disk. As shown in the
diagram, the ISA is located on the Innermost-circumfer-
ence side of the data zone whereas the OSA is located
on the outermost-circumference side of the data zone.

EP 1 612 790 A1

[0212] On the other hand, FIG. 13B is a diagram show-
ing the positions of each ISA and each OSA on a two-lay-
er disk. As shown in the diagram, ISAO is located on the
innermost-circumference side of the data zone on layer
0 whereas the OSA 0 is located on the outermost-cir-
cumference side of the data zone on layer 0. On the other
hand, ISA 1 Is located on the innermost-circumference
side of the data zone on layer 1 whereas the OSA 1 is
located on the outermost-circumference side of the data
zone on layer 1 .

[021 3] On the two-layer disk, the size of ISA 0 may be
different from that of ISA 1 . However, the size of OSA 0
is equal to that of OSA 1 .

[0214] The sizes of the ISA (or ISA 0 and ISA 1) and
the sizes of the OSA (or OSA 0 and OSA 1 ) are defined
in the DDS and the TDDS, which have been described
earlier.

[0215] The size of the ISA is determined at an initiali-
zation time and remains fixed thereafter. However, the
size of the OSA may be changed even after data has
been recorded therein. That is to say, the OSA size re-
corded in the TDDS can be changed in an operation to
update the TDDS to increase the size of the OSA.
[0216] An alternate-address process using the ISA or
the OSA is carried out as follows. An operation to renew
data is taken as an example. For example, new data is
written into the user-data zone. To be more specific, the
data is written into a cluster, in which existing data has
already been written previously. That is to say, a request
is made as a request to renew the existing data. In this
case, since the disk is recognized as a write-once optical
disk, the new data cannot be written into the cluster. Thus,
the new data is written into a cluster in the ISA or the
OSA. This operation is referred to as an alternate-ad-
dress process.

[0217] This alternate -ad dress process is managed as
the alternate -address information ati described above.
The alternate-address information ati is treated as a TD-
FL entry including the address of a cluster, in which the
existing data has been recorded from the very start, as
an alternate source address. The TDFL entry of the al-
ternate-address information ati also includes the address
of an ISA or OSA cluster. In which the new data has been
written as alternate-address data, as an alternate desti-
nation address.

[021 8] That is to say, in the case of renewal of existing
data, alternate-address data is recorded in the ISA or the
OSA and the alternate-address process carried out on
the data locations for the renewal of the existing data is
controlled as alternate-address information ati cataloged
on the TDFL in the TDMA. Thus, while the disk is a
write-once optical disk, virtually, renewal of data is im-
plemented. In other words, as seen from the OS of a host
system, a file system or other systems, renewal of data
is implemented.

[0219] The alternate-address process can also be ap-
plied to management of defects in the same way. To put
it in detail, if a cluster is determined to be a defective

area, by carrying out the alternate-address process, data
supposed to be written in the cluster is written in a cluster
of the ISA or the OSA. Then, for the management of this
alternate-address process, one alternate-address infor-
5 mation ati is cataloged as an entry on the TDFL.

3-3: TDMA-Using Method

[0220] As described above, every time data is renewed
fo or an alternate-address process is carried out, a space
bitmap and a TDFL in a TDMA are updated.
[0221] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the state of up-
dating contents of a TDMA.

[0222] FIG . 1 4A shows a state in which a space bitmap
^5 for layer 0, a space bitmap for layer 1 and a TDFL have
been recorded in the TDMA.

[0223] As described above, the last sector of each of
the space bitmaps and the last sector of the TDFL are
each used for recording a TDDS (temporary DDS). They
20 are referred to as TDDS 1 , TDDS 2 and TDDS 3.

[0224] In the case of the state shown in FIG. 1 4A, the
TDFL is related to most recently written data. Thus, TDDS
3 recorded in the last sector of the TDFL is the most
recent TDDS.

25 [0225] As explained earlier by referring to FIG. 1 2, this
TDDS includes AD BPO, AD BP1 and AD DFL. AD BPO
and AD BP1 are information showing the locations of
effective most recent space bitmaps. On the other hand,
AD DFL is information showing the location of an effective
30 most recent TDFL. In the case of TDDS 3, AD BPO, AD
BP1 and AD DFL are pieces of effective information point-
ing to the locations of the space bitmaps and the TDFL
as shown by a solid-line arrow, a dashed-line arrow and
a dotted-line arrow respectively. That is to say, AD DFL
35 in TDDS 3 is used as an address for specifying a TDFL
including TDDS 3 itself as an effective TDFL. On the other
hand, AD BPO and AD BP1 in TDDS 3 are used as ad-
dresses for specifying space bitmaps for layers 0 and 1
respectively as effective space bitmaps.
40 [0226] Later on, data is written and, since the space
bitmap for layer 0 is updated, a new space bitmap for
layer 0 is added to the TDMA. As shown in FIG. 1 4B, the
new space bitmap is recorded at the beginning of a free
area. In this case, TDDS 4 recorded in the last sector of
45 the new space bitmap becomes the most recent TDDS.
AD BPO, AD BP1 and AD DFL in TDDS 4 are used as
addresses for specifying pieces of effective information.
[0227] To be more specific, AD BPO in TDDS 4 is used
as an address for specifying a space bitmap for layer 0
50 as a space bitmap, which includes TDDS 4 itself and
serves as effective information. Much like the state
shown in FIG. 14A, AD BP1 in TDDS 4 is used as an
address for specifying a space bitmap for layer 1 as ef-
fective infomnation, and AD DFL in TDDS 4 is used as
55 an address for specifying a TDFL as an effective TDFL.
[0228] Later on, data is written again and, since the
space bitmap for layer 0 is updated, a new space bitmap
for layer 0 is added to the TDMA. As shown in FIG. 140,

EP 1 612 790 A1

the new space bitmap is recorded at the beginning of the
free area. In this case, TDDS 5 recorded in the last sector
of the newspace bitnnap becomesthe most recent TDDS.
AD BPO, AD BP1 and AD DFL in TDDS 5 are used as
addresses for specifying pieces of effective information.
[0229] To be more specific, AD BPO in TDDS 4 is used
as an address for specifying a space bitmap for layer 0
as a space bitmap, which includes TDDS 4 itself and
serves as effective information. Much like the state
shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, AD BP1 is used as an
address for specifying a space bitmap for layer 1 as ef-
fective infomnation, and AD DFL is used as an address
for specifying a TDFL as an effective TDFL.
[0230] As described above, when a TDFL and/or a
space bitmap are updated, a TDDS recorded in the last
sector of the most recent information includes addresses
indicating effective information such as space bitmaps
and a TDFL, which are included in the TDMA. The effec-
tive information is defined as the most recent space bit-
maps and the most recent TDFL, which are cataloged in
the TDMA before a finalize process.
[0231] Thus, the disk drive is capable of grasping an
effective TDFL and effective space bitmaps by referring
to a TDDS included in a last recorded TDFL or a last
recorded space bitmap recorded in the TDMA.
[0232] By the way, FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the
state of updating contents of a TDMA for a two-layer disk.
That is to say, the TDMA includes a space bitmap for
layer 0 and a space bitmap for layer 1 .
[0233] The two space bitmaps and the TDFL are ini-
tially cataloged in the TDMA for layer 0. That is to say,
only the TDMA for layer 0 is used and, every time a TDFL
and/or a space bitmap are updated, the new TDFL and/or
the new space bitmap are added to the TDMA as shown
in FIG. 14.

[0234] The TDMA for layer 1 as the second layer is
used after the TDMA for layer 0 has been all used up.
[0235] Then, the TDMA for layer 1 is also used for cat-
aloging TDFLs and/or space bitmaps one after another
by starting from the beginning of the TDMA.
[0236] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state in which
the TDM Afor layer 0 is all used up after recording a TDFL
or a space bitmap N times. Then, a TDFL or a space
bitmap is cataloged continuously in the TDMA provided
for layer 1 to serve as a continuation of the TDMA pro-
vided for layer 0 as shown in FIG. 14C.
[0237] In the state shown in FIG. 15, after the TDMA
for layer 0 has been used up, two space bitmaps for layer
1 are further cataloged in the TDMA for layer 1. In this
state, TDDS N+2 recorded in the last sector of the most
recent space bitmap for layer 1 is the most recent TDDS.
Much like the state shown in FIG. 14, in the most recent
TDDS, AD BPO, AD BP1 and AD DFL point to pieces of
effective information as shown by a solid-line arrow, a
dashed-line arrow and a dotted-line arrow respectively.
That is to say, AD BP1 in TDDS N+2 is used as an ad-
dress for specifying a space bitmap for layer 1 as a space
bitmap, which includes TDDS N-i-2 itself and serves as

effective information. On the other hand, AD BPO in
TDDS N+2 is used as an address for specifying a space
bitmap for layer 0, that is, the same space bitmap as that
shown in FIG. 14C, and AD DFL in TDDS N+2 is used
5 as an address for specifying a TDFL as effective infor-
mation or most recently updated information.
[0238] It is needless to say that, if the TDFL, the space
bitmap for layer 0 or the space bitmap for layer 1 is up-
dated thereafter, the updated TDFL or space bitmap is
cataloged at the beginning of a free area in the TDMA
for layer 1 .

[0239] As described above, the TDMAs for recording
layers 0 and 1 are used one after another for cataloging
updated TDFLs and space bitmaps. Thus, the TDMAs
f5 for the recording layers can be used jointly as a large
single TDMA. As a result, a plurality of DMAs can be
utilized with a high degree of efficiency.
[0240] In addition, by searching only a TDDS recorded
last without regard to whether the TDMA is provided for
20 layer 0 or 1 , an effective TDFL and/or space bitmap can
be grasped.

[0241] In this embodiment, a one-layer disk and a
two-layer disk are assumed as described above. It is to
be noted, however, that a disk having three or more re-
25 cording layers is also conceivable. Also in the case of a
disk having three or more recording layers, the TDMAs
for the layers can be used one after another in the same
way.

[0242] The following description explains a record-
ing/reproduction apparatus serving as a disk drive for the
write-once optical disks described above.

35 [0243] The disk drive provided by the embodiment is
capable of forming a layout of a write-once optical disk
in a state explained earlier by referring to FIG. 1 by for-
matting the disk in a state wherein, typically, only the
prerecorded information area PIC shown in FIG. 1 has

40 been created but no write-once area has been formed.
In addition, the disk drive records data into the user-data
area of the disk fomnatted in this way and reproduces
data from the user-data. If necessary, the disk drives also
updates a TDMA by recording information therein and

45 records data into an ISA or an OSA.

[0244] FIG. 1 6 is a diagram showing the configuration
of the disk drive.

[0245] A disk 1 is the write-once optical disk described
above. The disk 1 is mounted on a turntable not shown

50 in the figure. In a recording/reproduction operation, the
turntable is driven into rotation at a CLV (constant linear
velocity) by a spindle motor 52.
[0246] An optical pickup (optical head) 51 reads out
ADIP addresses embedded on the disk 1 as a wobbling

55 shape of a groove track and management/control infor-
mation as information prerecorded on the disk 1.
[0247] At an initialization/formatting time or in an op-
eration to record user data onto the disk 1 , the optical

30 4: Disk Drive

EP 1 612 790 A1

pickup 51 records management/control information and
user data onto a track in a write-once area. In a repro-
duction operation, on the other hand, the optical pickup
51 reads out data recorded on the disk 1 .
[0248] The optical pickup 51 includes a laser diode, a
photo detector, an objective lens and an optical system,
which are not shown in the figure. The laser diode is a
device serving as a source for generating a laser beam.
The photo detector is a component for detecting a beam
reflected by the disk 1 . The objective lens is a component
serving as an output terminal of the laser beam. The op-
tical system is a component for radiating the laser beam
to a recording face of the disk 1 by way of the objective
lens and leading the reflected beam to the photo detector.
[0249] In the optical pickup 51, the objective lens is
held by a biaxial mechanism in such a way that the mech-
anism is capable of moving the objective lens in tracking
and focus directions.

[0250] In addition, the entire optical pickup 51 can be
moved in the radial direction of the disk 1 by a thread
mechanism 53.

[0251] The laser diode included in the optical pickup
51 is driven to emit a laser beam by a drive current gen-
erated by a laser driver 63 as a drive signal.
[0252] The photo detector employed in the optical pick-
up 51 detects information conveyed by a beam reflected
by the disk 1 , converts the detected information into an
electrical signal proportional to the light intensity of the
reflected beam and supplies the electrical signal to a ma-
trix circuit 54.

[0253] The matrix circuit 54 has a current/voltage con-
version circuit, which is used for con verting a current out-
put by the photo detector comprising a plurality of
light-sensitive devices into a voltage, and a matrix
processing/amplification circuit for carrying out matrix
processing to generate necessary signals. The neces-
sary signals include a high-frequency signal (or a repro-
duced-data signal) representing reproduced data as well
as a focus error signal and a tracking error signal, which
are used for servo control.

[0254] In addition, a push-pull signal is also generated
as a signal related to wobbling of the groove. The signal
related to wobbling of the groove is a signal for detecting

the wobbling of the groove.

[0255] It is to be noted that the matrix circuit 54 may
be physically integrated inside the optical pickup 51 .
[0256] The reproduced-data signal output by the ma-
trix circuit 54 is supplied to a reader/writer circuit 55. The
focus error signal and the tracking error signal, which are
also generated by the matrix circuit 54, are supplied to a
servo circuit 61 . The push-pull signal generated by the
matrix circuit 54 is supplied to a wobble circuit 58.
[0257] The reader/writer circuit 55 is a circuit for car-
rying out processing such as a binary conversion process
on the reproduced-data signal and a process to generate
a reproduction clock signal by adopting a PLL technique
to generate data read out by the optical pickup 51. The
generated data is then supplied to a modulation/demod-

ulation circuit 56.

[0258] The modulation/demodulation circuit 56 com-
prises a functional member serving as a decoder in a
reproduction process and a functional member serving

5 as an encoder in a recording process.

[0259] In a reproduction process, the modulation/de-
modulation circuit 56 implements demodulation process
for run-length limited code as decoding process on the
basis of the reproduction clock signal.

10 [0260] An ECC encoder/decoder 57 is a component
for carrying out an ECC encoding process to add error
correction codes to data to be recorded onto the disk 1
and an ECC decoding process for correcting errors in-
cluded in data reproduced from the disk 1.

^5 [0261] At a reproduction time, data demodulated by
the modulation/demodulation circuit 56 is stored in an
internal memory to be subjected to error detection/cor-
rection processing and processing such as a de-inter-
leave process to generate the eventual reproduced data.

20 [0262] The reproduced data obtained as a result of a
decoding process carried out by the ECC encoder/de-
coder 57 is read out from the internal memory and trans-
ferred to an apparatus connected to the disk drive in ac-
cordance with a command given by a system controller

25 60. An example of the apparatus connected to the disk
drive is an AV (Audio-Visual) system 120.
[0263] As described above, the push-pull signal output
by the matrix circuit 54 as a signal related to the wobbling
state of the groove is processed in the wobble circuit 58.

30 The push-pull signal conveying ADIP infonnation is de-
modulated in the wobble circuit 58 into a data stream
composing ADIP addresses. The wobble circuit 58 then
supplies the data stream to an address decoder 59.
[0264] The address decoder 59 decodes the data re-

35 ceived thereby to generate addresses and then supplies
the addresses to the system controller 60.
[0265] The address decoder 59 also generates a clock
signal by carrying out a PLL process using the wobble
signal supplied by the wobble circuit 58 and supplies the

40 clock signal to other components for example as a re-
cording-time encode clock signal.
[0266] The push-pull signal output by the matrix circuit
54 as a signal related to the wobbling state of the groove
is a signal originated from the prerecorded information

45 PIC. In the wobble circuit 58, the push-pull signal is sub-
jected to a band-pass filter process before being supplied
to the reader/writer circuit 55, which carries out a binary
conversion process to generate a data bit stream. The
data bit stream is then supplied to the ECC encoder/de-

50 coder 57 for carrying out ECC-decode and de-interleave
processes to extract data representing the prerecorded
information. The extracted prerecorded information is
then supplied to the system controller 60.
[0267] On the basis of the fetched prerecorded infor-

55 mation, the system controller 60 is capable of carrying
out processes such as processing to set a variety of op-
erations and copy protect processing.
[0268] At a recording time, data to be recorded is re-

EP 1 612 790 A1

ceived from the AV system 1 20. The data to be recorded
is buffered in a memory employed In the ECC encod-
er/decoder 57.

[0269] In this case, the ECC encoder/decoder 57 car-
ries out processes on the buffered data to be recorded.
The processes include processing to add error correction
codes, interleave processing and processing to add
sub-codes.

[0270] The data completing the ECC encoding proc-
ess is subjected to a demodulation process such as de-
modulation adopting an RLL (1 -7) PP method in the mod-
ulation/demodulation circuit 56 before being supplied to

the reader/writer circuit 55.

[0271] In these encoding processes carried out at a
recording time, the clock signal generated from the wob-
ble signal as described above is used as the encoding
clock signal, which serves as a reference signal.
[0272] After completing these encoding processes, the
data to be recorded is supplied to the reader/writer circuit
55 to be subjected to recording compensation processing
such as fine adjustment of a recording power to produce
a power value optimum for factors including characteris-
tics of the recording layer, the spot shape of the laser
beam and the recording linear speed as well as adjust-
ment of the shape of the laser drive pulse. After complet-
ing the recording compensation processing, the data to
be recorded is supplied to the laser driver 63 as laser
drive pulses.

[0273] The laser driver 63 passes on the laser drive
pulses to the laser diode employed in the optical pickup
51 to drive the generation of a laser beam from the diode.
In this way, pits suitable for the recorded data are created
on the disk 1 .

[0274] It is to be noted that the laser driver 63 includes
the so-called APC (Auto Power Control) circuit for con-
trolling the laser output to a fixed value independent of
ambient conditions such as the ambient temperature by
monitoring the laser output power. A detector Is provided
in the optical pickup 51 to serve as a monitor for moni-
toring the laser output power. The system controller 60
gives a target value of the laser output power for each of
recording and reproduction processes. The level of the
laser output is controlled to the target value for the re-
cording or reproduction process.
[0275] The servo circuit 61 generates a variety of servo
drive signals from the focus error signal and the tracking
error signal, which are received from the matrix circuit
54, to carry out servo operations. The servo drive signals
include focus, tracking and thread servo drive signals.
[0276] To put It concretely, the focus and tracking drive
signals are generated in accordance with the focus error
signal and the tracking error signal respectively to drive
respectively focus and tracking coils of the biaxial mech-
anism employed in the optical pickup 51. Thus, tracking
and focus servo loops are created as loops comprising
the optical pickup 51 , the matrix circuit 54, the servo cir-
cuit 61 and the biaxial mechanism.
[0277] In addition, in accordance with a track jump

command received from the system controller 60, the
servo circuit 61 turns off the tracking servo loop and car-
ries out a track jump operation by outputting a jump drive
signal.

5 [0278] On top of that, the servo circuit 61 generates a
thread drive signal on the basis of a thread error signal
and an access execution control signal, which Is received
from the system controller 60, to drive the thread mech-
anism 53. The thread errorsignal is obtained as a low-fre-
quency component of the tracking error signal. The
thread mechanism 53 has a mechanism comprising a
transmission gear, a thread motor and a main shaft for
holding the optical pickup 51 . The thread mechanism 53
drives the thread motor in accordance with the thread

f5 drive signal to slide the optical pickup 51 by a required
distance. It is to be noted that the mechanism itself is not
shown In the figure.

[0279] A spindle servo circuit 62 controls the spindle
motor 52 to rotate at a CLV.

20 [0280] The spindle servo circuit 62 obtains a clock sig-
nal generated In a PLL process for the wobble signal as
information on the present rotational speed of the spindle
motor52 and compares the present rotational speed with
a predetermined CLV reference speed to generate a

25 spindle error signal.

[0281] In addition, a reproduction clock signal gener-
ated at a data reproduction time by a PLL circuit em-
ployed In the reader/writer circuit 55 is used as the ref-
erence clock signal of a decoding process as well as the

30 information on the present rotational speed of the spindle
motor 52. Thus, by comparing this reproduction clock
signal with the predetermined CLV reference speed, a
spindle error signal can be generated.
[0282] Then, the spindle servo circuit 62 outputs the

35 spindle drive signal, which is generated in accordance
with the spindle errorsignal, to carry out the CLV rotation
of the spindle motor 52.

[0283] In addition, thesplndleservo circuit 62 also gen-
erates a spindle drive signal in accordance with a spindle

40 kick/brake control signal received from the system con-
troller 60 to carry out operations to start, stop, accelerate
and decelerate the spindle motor 52.
[0284] A variety of operations carried out by the servo
system and the recording/reproduction system as de-

45 scribed above are controlled by the system controller 60
based on a microcomputer.

[0285] The system controller 60 carries out various
kinds of processing in accordance with commands re-
ceived from the AV system 1 20.

50 [0286] When a write instruction (or a command to write
data) is received from the AV system 120, for example,
the system controller 60 first of all moves the optical pick-
up 51 to an address into which the data is to be written.
Then, the ECC encoder/decoder 57 and the modula-

55 tlon/demodulatlon circuit 56 cany out the encoding proc-
esses described above on the data received from the AV
system 120. Examples of the data are video and audio
data generated in accordance with a variety of methods

EP 1 612 790 A1

such as MPEG2. Subsequently, as described above, the
reader/writer circuit 55 supplies laser drive pulses repre-
senting the data to the laser driver 63 in order to actually
record the data on the disk 1 .

[0287] On the other hand, when a read command to
read out data such as MP EG 2 video data from the disk
1 is received from the AV system 120, for example, the
system controller 60 first of all carries out a seek opera-
tion to move the optical pickup 51 to a target address at
which the data is to be read out from the disk 1 . That is
to say, the system controller 60 outputs a seek command
to the servo circuit 61 to drive the optical pickup 51 to
make an access to a target address specified in the seek
command.

[0288] Thereafter, necessary control of operations is
executed to transfer data of a specified segment to the
AV system 120. That is to say, the data is read out from
the disk 1 , processing such asthe decoding and buffering
processes is carried out in the reader/writer circuit 55,
the modulation/demodulation circuit 56 and the ECC en-
coder/decoder 57, and the requested data is transferred
to the AV system 120.

[0289] It is to be noted that, in the operations to record
data into the disk 1 and reproduce data from the disk 1 ,
the system controller 60 is capable of controlling access-
es to the disk 1 and the recording/reproduction opera-
tions by using ADIP addresses detected by the wobble
circuit 58 and the address decoder 59.
[0290] In addition, at predetermined points of time such
as the time the disk 1 is mounted on the disk drive, the
system controller 60 reads out a unique ID from the BCA
on the disk 1 in case the BCA exists on the disk 1 and
prerecorded information (PIC) recorded on the disk 1 as
a wobbling groove from the reproduction-only area.
[0291] In this case, control of seek operations is exe-
cuted with the BCA and the prerecorded data zone PR
set as targets of the seek operations. That is to say, com-
mands are issued to the servo circuit 61 to make access-
es by using the optical pickup 51 to the innermost-cir-
cumference side of the disk 1 .

[0292] Later on, the optical pickup 51 is driven to carry
out reproduction tracing to obtain a push-pull signal as
information conveyed by a reflected beam. Then, decod-
ing processes are carried out in the wobble circuit 58,
reader/writer circuit 55 and ECC encoder/decoder 57 to
generate BCA information and prerecorded information
as reproduced data.

[0293] On the basis of the BCA information and the
prerecorded information, which are read out from the disk
1 as described above, the system controller 60 carries
out processing such as a process to set laser powers
and a copy protect process.

[0294] In the configuration shown in FIG. 16, a cache
memory 60a is employed in the system controller 60. The
cache memory 60a is used for holding typically a TDFL
and/or a space bitmap, which are read out from the TDM A

recorded on the disk 1 , so that the TDFL and/orthe space
bitmap can be updated without making an access to the

disk 1.

[0295] When the disk 1 is mounted on the disk drive,
for example, the system controller 60 controls compo-
nents of the disk drive to read out a TDFL and/or a space

5 bitmap from the TDMA recorded on the disk 1 and store
them in the cache memory 60a.
[0296] Later on, when an alternate-address process is
carried out to renew data or due to a defect, the TDFL or
the space bitmap stored in the cache memory 60a is up-

10 dated.

[0297] Every time an a Item ate -address process is car-
ried out to write or renew data in the disk 1 and the TDFL

or the space bitmap is updated, for example, the updated
TDFL or space bitmap can be additionally cataloged in
^5 the TDMA recorded on the disk 1 . By doing so, however,
the TDMA recorded on the disk 1 will be used up at an
early time.

[0298] In order to solve this problem, only the TDFL or
the space bitmap stored in the cache memory 60a is up-
20 dated till the disk 1 is ejected from the disk drive. As the
disk 1 is ejected from the disk drive, for example, the last
(most recent) TDFL or space bitmap stored in the cache
memory 60a is transferred to the TDMA recorded on the
disk 1. In this way, the TDMA recorded on the disk 1 is
25 updated only after the TDFL and/or the space bitmap,
which are stored in the cache memory 60a, has been
updated a large number of times so that the amount of
the TDMA consumption can be reduced.
[0299] The explanation given thereafter is based on a
30 method to reduce the amount of consumption of the TD-
MA recorded on the disk 1 by using the cache memory
60a in processing such as a recording process to be de-
scribed later. It is needless to say, nevertheless, that the
present invention can be implemented without the cache
35 memory 60a. Without the cache memory 60a, however,
every time a TDFL or a space bitmap is updated, the
updated TDFL or the updated space bitmap must be cat-
aloged in the TDMA recorded on the disk 1 .
[0300] By the way, the typical configuration of the disk
40 drive shown in FIG. 1 6 is the configuration of a disk drive
connected to the AV system 120. However, the disk drive
provided by the present invention can be connected to
an apparatus such as a personal computer.
[0301] In addition, the disk drive may be designed into
45 a configuration that cannot be connected to an appara-
tus. In this case, unlike the configuration shown in FIG.
1 6, the disk drive includes an operation unit and a display
unit or an interface member for inputting and outputting
data. That is to say, data is recorded onto a disk and
50 reproduced from the disk in accordance with an operation
carried out by the user, and a temninal is required as a
terminal for inputting and outputting the data.
[0302] Of course, other typical configurations are con-
ceivable. For example, the disk drive can be designed
55 as a recording-only apparatus or a rep reduction -only ap-
paratus.

EP 1 612 790 A1

5: Operations for the First TDMA Method
5-1 : Data Writing

[0303] By referring to flowcharts shown in FIGS. 1 7 to
20, the following description explains processing carried
out by the system controller 60 In a process to record
data onto the disk 1 mounted on the disk drive.
[0304] It is to be noted that, at the time the data-writing
process explained below is carried out, the disk 1 has
already been mounted on the disk drive, and a TDFL as
well as a space bitmap have been transferred from a
TDMA on the disk 1 mounted on the disk drive to the
cache memory 60a.

[0305] In addition, when a request for a write operation
or a read operation is received from a host apparatus
such as the AV system 120, the target address is spec-
ified in the request as a logical sector address. The disk
drive carries out logical/physical address conversion
processing.to convert the logical sector address into a
physical sector address but the description of the con-
version process for each request from time to time is
omitted.

[0306] It is to be noted that, in order to convert a logical
sector address specified by a host into a physical sector

address, it is necessary to add 'the physical address of
the first sector in a user-data area' recorded in theTDDS
to the logical sector address.

[0307] Assume that a request to write data into address
N has been received from a host apparatus such as the
AV system 120 by the system controller 60. In this case,
the system controller 60 starts processing represented
by the flowchart shown in FIG. 17. First of all, at a step
F1 01 , a space bitmap stored in the cache memory 60a
is referred to in order to determine whether or not data
has been recorded in a cluster at the specified address.
The space bitmap stored in the cache memory 60a is a
space bitmap updated most recently.
[0308] If no data has been recorded at the specified
address, the flow of the processing goes on to a step
F102 to carry out a process to write user data into the
address as represented by the flowchart shown in FIG.
18.

[0309] If data has already been recorded at the spec-
ified address so that the process to write the data of this
time can not be implemented, on the other hand, the flow
of the processing goes on to a step F1 03 to carry out an
ovenwrite process represented by the flowchart shown in
FIG. 19.

[031 0] The process to write user data into the address
as represented by the flowchart shown in FIG. 18 is a
process requested by a command to write the data into
the address at which no data has been recorded. Thus,
the process to write user data into the address as repre-
sented by the flowchart shown in FIG. 18 is an ordinary
write process. If an error is generated in the course of
the write process due to a defect such as an injury on
the disk 1 , however, an alternate-address process may

be carried out in some cases.

[0311] First of all, at a step F1 11 , the system controller
60 executes control to write the data into the specified
address. That is to say, the optical pickup 51 is driven to

5 make an access to the specified address and record the
data of the write request into the address.
[031 2] If the operation to write the data into the address
Is completed normally, the flow of the processing goes
on from the step F1 1 2 to the step F1 1 3 at which the space
bitmap stored in the cache memory 60a is updated. To
put it in detail, the space bitmap is searched for a bit
corresponding to a cluster in which the data has been
written this time, and the bit is set to a value indicating
that data has been written into the cluster. Then, the ex-

f5 ecution of the processing for the write request is ended.
[0313] If the operation carried out at the step F1 1 1 to
write the data into the address is not completed normally
and an alternate-address process function is in an on
state, on the other hand, the flow of the processing goes

20 on from the step F1 1 3 to the step F1 1 4.

[031 4] It is to be noted that the step F1 1 2 is executed
also to detemnine whether or not the alternate-address
process function is In an on state by checking whether
or not an ISA and/or an OSA have been defined. If at

25 least either an ISA or an OSA has been defined, an al-
ternate-address process can be carried out. In this case,
the alternate-address process function is determined to
be in an on state.

[0315] An ISA or an OSA is determined to have been

30 defined if the size of the ISA or the OSA in the TDDS of
the TDMA has been set at a value other than a zero. That
is to say, at a formatting time of the disk 1 , at least either
an ISA or an OSA is defined as an actually existing al-
ternate area by specifying its size at a value other than

35 a zero in a TDDS and recording the TDDS in the first
TDMA. As an alternative, for example, an OSA can be
redefined by setting its size at a value other than a zero
in an operation to update a TDDS in a TDMA.
[031 6] After all, if at least either an ISA or an OSA ex-

^0 ists, the alternate-address process function is deter-
mined to be in an on state. In this case, the flow of the
processing goes on to the step S1 14.
[031 7] If the determination result obtained at the step
F1 12 indicates that neither an ISA nor an OSA exists,

45 indicating that the alternate-address process function
has been made ineffective, on the other hand, the flow
of the processing goes on to the step S1 13. It is to be
noted that, at this step, the space bitmap stored in the
cache memory 60a is searched for a bit corresponding

50 to a cluster at the specified address and the bit is set at
a value indicating that data has been recorded in the
cluster. Then, the execution of the processing is ended.
In this case, however, the write request is ended in an
error.

55 [0318] In spite of the fact that a write error has been
generated, at the bit in the space bitmap, a flag indicating
that data has been recorded in the cluster corresponding
to the bit is set in the same way as a normal termination

EP 1 612 790 A1

of the processing. The setting of the flag means that the
defective area is nnanaged by using the space bitmap as
a cluster in which data has been recorded. Thus, even if
a request is received as a request to write data into the
defective area, in which the error has been generated,
by referring to the space bitmap, the processing of the
request can be carried out with a high degree of efficien-
cy.

[0319] As described above, if the a Item ate- address
process function is determined at the step F11 2 to be in
an on state, the flow of the processing goes on to the
step F1 14, first of all, to detemnine whether or not the
alternate-address process can be actually carried out.
[0320] In order to carry out the alternate-address proc-
ess, the spare area, that is, either the ISA or the OSA,
must have a free area for at least recording the data re-
quested in the write operation. In addition, the TDM A
must have a margin allowing an entry of the alternate-ad-
dress information ati for managing this alternate-address
process to be added, that is, allowing the TDFL to be
updated.

[0321] It is possible to detennine whether or not the
ISA or the OSA has such a free area by checking the
number of unused ISA/OSA clusters included in the de-
fect-list management information shown in FIG. 7. As
described earlier, the defect-list management infomna-
tion is included in a TDFL as shown in FIG. 1 1 .
[0322] If at least either the ISA or the OSA has a free
area and the TDMA has a margin for update, the flow of
the processing carried out by the system controller 60
goes on from the step F11 4 to a step F11 5 at which the
optical pickup 51 is driven to make an access to the ISA
or the OSA and record the data requested in the write
operation into the free area in the ISA orthe OSA respec-
tively.

[0323] Then, at the next step F1 1 6, after the write op-
eration requiring the alternate-address process, the TD-
FL and the space bitmap, which have been stored in the
cache memory 60a, are updated.
[0324] To put it in detail, the contents of the TDFL are
updated by newly adding an entry of the alternate-ad-
dress information ati representing the present alter-
nate-address process as shown in FIG. 8 to the TDFL.
In addition, in accordance with the addition of such an
entry, the number of cataloged DFL entries in the de-
fect-list management infonnation shown in FIG. 7 is in-
creased while the number of unused ISA/OSA clusters
in the defect-list management information shown in FIG.
7 is decreased. Ifthe alternate-address process is carried
out on one cluster, the number of cataloged DFL entries
is incremented by one while the number of unused
ISA/OSA clusters is decremented by one. It is to be noted
that a process to generate the alternate-address infor-
mation ati will be described later.
[0325] In addition, a bit included in the space bitmap
as a bitcorresponding to aclusteratthe address, at which
an error of the requested write operation has been gen-
erated, is set at a value indicating that data has been

recorded in the cluster. By the same token, a bit included
in the space bitmap as a bit corresponding to an ISA or
OSA cluster, in which the data has been actually record-
ed, is set at a value indicating that data has been recorded
5 in the cluster.

[0326] Then, the execution of the processing of the
write request is ended. In this case, however, a write error
has been generated at the address specified in the write
request, by carrying out the alternate-address process,
the write operation can be completed. From the stand-
point of the host apparatus, the processing of the write
is ended normally.

[0327] If the determination result obtained at the step
F1 14 indicates that neither the ISA nor the OSA has a
^5 free area or the TDMA does not have a margin for TDFL
to be updated, the flow of the processing carried out by
the system controller 60 goes on to a step F1 1 7 at which
an error report is returned to the host apparatus and the
execution of the processing is ended.
20 [0328] If the determination result obtained at the step
F101 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 17 indicates that
data has already been recorded at the address specified
in the write request made by the host apparatus as evi-
denced by the fact that a bit included in the space bitmap
25 as a bit corresponding to a cluster at the address has
been set at a value indicating that data has been recorded
in the cluster, the flow of the processing goes on to the
step F103 as described earlier. At this step, the overwrite
function process represented by the flowchart shown in
30 FIG. 19 is carried out.

[0329] The flowchart begins with a step F1 21 at which
the system controller 60 determines whether or not the
overwrite function orthe data renewal function is effec-
tive. The system controller 60 is capable of determining
35 whether or not the overwrite function is effective by re-
ferring to a flag included in the TDDS shown in FIG. 12
as a flag indicating whether or not the overwrite function
is usable.

[0330] Ifthe flag indicating whether or not the overwrite
40 function is usable is notset at 1 indicating thatthe function
is not effective, the flow of the processing goes on to a
step F122 at which an error report indicating incorrect
specification of the address is returned to the host appa-
ratus and the execution of the processing is ended.
45 [0331] If the flag indicating whether or not the overwrite
function is usable is set at 1 indicating that the data re-
newal function is effective, on the other hand, the
processing of the data renewal function is started.
[0332] In this case, the flow of the processing goes on
50 to a step F1 23 first of all to determine whether or not the
alternate-address process can be carried out. As de-
scribed above, in order to carry out the alternate-address
process, the spare area, that is, either the ISA or the
OSA, must have a free area for at least recording the
55 data requested in the write operation and, in addition, the
TDMA must have a margin allowing an entry of the alter-
nate-address information ati for managing this alter-
nate-address process to be added, that is, allowing the

EP 1 612 790 A1

TDFLto be updated.

[0333] If at least either the ISA or the OSA has a free
area and the TDMA has a margin allowing an entry of
the alternate-address information ati for managing this
alternate-address process to be added, the flow of the 5
processing carried out by the system controller 60 goes
on from the step F1 23 to a step F1 24 at which the optical
pickup 51 Is driven to make an access to the ISA or the
OSA and record the data requested in the write operation
into the free area in the ISA or the OSA respectively.
[0334] Then, at the next step F1 25, after the write op-
eration requiring execution of the alternate-address proc-
ess, the TDFL and the space bitmap, which have been
stored in the cache memory 60a, are updated. To put it
in detail, the contents of the TDFL are updated by newly
adding an entry of the alternate-address information ati
representing the present alternate-address process as
shown in FIG. 8 to the TDFL.

[0335] However, data at the same address may have
been renewed before and an entry of the alternate-ad- 20
dress information ati representing the alternate-address
process for the renewal has thus been cataloged on the
TDFL. In such a case, first of all, all pieces of alternate-ad-
dress information ati cataloged in the TDFL are searched
for an entry including the address as an alternate source 25
address. If alternate-address information ati has been
cataloged in the TDFL as an entry including the address
as an alternate source address, the alternate destination
address included in the alternate-address information ati
is changed to the address in the ISA or the OSA. Since so
the TDFL containing such alternate-address information
ati as an entry has been stored in the cache memory 60a
at the present point of time, the change of the alternate
destination address of the alternate-address information
ati can made with ease. It is to be noted that, without the 35
cache memory 60a, every time the TDFL recorded on
the disk 1 is updated, the already cataloged entry must
be deleted from the TDFL before adding a new entry to
the TDFL.

[0336] If a new entry of the alternate-address informa- ^0
tion ati is added to the TDFL, the number of cataloged
DFL entries in the defect-list management information
shown in FIG. 7 is increased while the number of unused
ISA/OSA clusters in the defect-list management informa-
tion shown in FIG. 7 is decreased. 45
[0337] In addition, a bit included in the space bitmap
as a bit corresponding to an ISA or OSA cluster, in which
the data has been actually recorded, is set at a value
indicating that data has been recorded in the cluster.
[0338] Then, the execution of the processing of the 50
write request is ended. By carrying out the processing to
use the ISA or the OSA as described above, the system
controller 60 is capable of coping with a data renewal
request, which is a request to write data into an address
at which data has been recorded. 55
[0339] If the detemnination result obtained at the step
F123 indicates that neither the ISA nor the OSA has a
free area or the TDMA does not have a margin allowing

an entry of the alternate-address information ati for man-
aging this alternate-address process to be added, on the
other hand, the flow of the processing carried out by the
system controller 60 goes on to a step F1 26 at which an
error report indicating no free write area is returned to
the host apparatus and the execution of the processing
is ended.

[0340] By the way, at the step F1 16 of the flowchart
shown in FIG. 18 and the step F125 of the flowchart

shown in FIG. 19, alternate-address information ati is
newly generated for the alternate-address process by
the system controller 60 in processing represented by
the flowchart shown in FIG. 20.

[0341] The flowchart shown in FIG. 20 begins with a
step F151 to determine whether or not the alternate-ad-
dress process is a process carried out on a plurality of
physically continuous clusters.

[0342] If the alternate-address process is a process
carried out on a cluster or a plurality of physically discon-
tinuous clusters, the flow of the processing goes on to a
step F154 at which alternate-address information ati Is
generated for the cluster or each of the physically dis-
continuous clusters. In this case, status 1 of the data
structure shown in FIG. 8 is set at 0000 for each alter-
nate-address information ati as is the case with the nor-
mal alternate-address process. Then, at the next step
F155, each alternate-address information ati generated
in this way is added to the TDFL.
[0343] If the alternate-address process is a process
carried out on a plurality of physically continuous alter-
nate source and alternate destination clusters, on the
other hand, the flow of the processing goes on to a step
F152 at which, first of all, alternate-address information
ati is generated for clusters at the beginnings of the al-
ternate source and alternate destination clusters, and
status 1 of the alternate-address information ati is set at
01 01 . Then, at the next step F153, alternate- ad dress in-
fonnation ati is generated for clusters at the ends of the
alternate source and alternate destination clusters, and
status 1 of the alternate-address information ati is set at
1010. Then, at the next step F155, the two pieces of
alternate-address information ati generated in this way
are added to the TDFL.

[0344] By carrying out the processing described
above, even an alternate-address process for three or
more physically continuous clusters can be managed by
using only two pieces of alternate-address information
ati.

5-2: Data Fetching

[0345] By referring to a flowchart shown in FIG. 21 , the
following description explains processing carried out by
the system controller 60 to reproduce data from the disk
1 mounted on the disk drive.

[0346] Assume that the system controller 60 receives

a request to read out data recorded at an address spec-
ified in the request from a host apparatus such as the AV

EP 1 612 790 A1

system 120. In this case, the flowchart representing the
processing begins with a step F201 at which the system
controller 60 refers to a space bitmap to determine wheth-
er or not data has been stored in the address specified

in the request.

[0347] If no data has been stored in the address spec-
ified in the request, the flow of the processing goes on
to a step F202 at which an error report indicating that the
specified address is an incorrect address is returned to

the host apparatus.

[0348] If data has been stored in the address specified
in the request, on the other hand, the flow of the process-
ing goes on to a step F203 at which the TDFL is searched
for alternate-address information ati including the spec-
ified address as an alternate source address in order to
determine whether or not an entry including the specified
address has been cataloged on the TDFL.
[0349] If alternate-address information ati includingthe
specified address as an alternate source address is not
found in the search, the flow of the processing goes on
from the step F203 to a step F204 at which data is re-
produced from an area starting at the specified address
before ending the execution of the processing, which is
a normal process to reproduce data from the user-data
area.

[0350] If the determination result obtained at the step
F203 indicates that alternate-address information ati in-
cluding the specified address as an alternate source ad-
dress has been found in the search, on the other hand,
the flow of the processing goes on from the step F203 to
a step F205 at which an alternate destination address is
acquired from the alternate -ad dress information ati. This
alternate destination address is an address in an ISA or
an OSA.

[0351] Then, at the next step F206, the system con-
troller 60 reads out data from the ISA or OSA address,
which has been cataloged in the alternate -address infor-
mation ati as an alternate destination address, and trans-
fers the reproduced data to the host apparatus such as
the AV system 120 before ending the execution of the
processing.

[0352] By carrying out the processing described
above, even if a request to reproduce data is received

after the data has been renewed, the most recent data
can be reproduced appropriately and transferred to the
host.

5-3: Updating of the TDFLVSpace Bitmap

[0353] In the processing described above, the TDFL
stored in the cache memory 60a is updated in case the
process to write data into a cluster is accompanied by an
alternate-address process and the space bitmap also
stored in the cache memory 60a is updated to reflect the
data write process. At a certain point of time, the updated
TDFL and space bitmap need to be transferred to the
TDMA recorded on the disk 1 . That is to say, it is neces-
sary to update the state of management based on alter-

nate-address processes and the recording state, which
are states recorded on the disk 1 .
[0354] It is most desirable to update the TDMA record-
ed on the disk 1 at a point of time the disk 1 is about to

5 be ejected from the disk drive even though the timing to
update the TDMA is not limited to the timing to eject the
disk 1 . Besides the timing to eject the disk 1 , the TDMA
can also be updated when the power supply of the disk
drive is turned off or updated periodically.
[0355] FIG. 22showsaflowchart representing process
to update the TDMA recorded on the disk 1 . At an ejection
time or the like, the system controller 60 determines
whether or not it is necessary to update the contents of
the TDMA, that is, whether or not it is necessary to catalog

^5 the updated TDFL or space bitmap in the TDMA. If nec-
essary, a process to update information in the TDMA is
carried out.

[0356] At an ejection time or the like, the system con-
troller 60 carries out processing to update the TDFL
20 and/or the space bitmap. This processing starts at a step
F301 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 22.
[0357] The flowchart actually begins with a step F302
to determine whether ornotthe TDFL stored in the cache
memory 60a has been updated. If the TDFL has been
25 updated, the flow of the processing goes on to a step
F303 at which a TDDS shown in FIG. 1 2 is added to the
updated TDFL, being recorded in the last sector of the
TDFL.

[0358] Then, at the next step F304, the optical pickup
30 51 is driven to record the TDFL at the beginning of a free
area in the TDMA recorded on the disk 1 . It is to be noted
that, at that time, since data is newly recorded in the
TDMA, the space bitmap stored in the cache memory
60a is also updated.
35 [0359] Then, after the TDFL is recorded in the TDMA,
the flow of the processing goes on to a step F305. The
flow of the processing also goes on to the step F305 from
the step F302 because the TDFL was not updated. In
eithercase, the space bitmap stored in the cache memory
40 60a is checked to determine whether or not the bitmap
has been updated.

[0360] If the TDFL has been updated as described
above, at least, the space bitmap has also been updated
at that time. This is because an alternate-address proc-
45 ess has been carried out so that the space bitmap has
also been updated as well in accordance with the alter-
nate-address process. In addition, the space bitmap is
also updated in accordance with an operation to record
data in a cluster even if no alternate-address process
50 has been carried out.

[0361 ] If the space bitmap stored in the cache memory
60a has been updated in one of the situations described
above, the flow of the processing goes on to a step F306,
at which the TDDS shown in FIG. 12 is added to the
55 updated space bitmap stored in the cache memory 60a,
being recorded in the last sector of the space bitmap.
Then, atthe next step F307, the optical pickup 51 is driven
to record the space bitmap atthe beginning of a free area

EP 1 612 790 A1

in the TDMA recorded on the disk 1 . Finally, the execution
of the processing to record the updated TDFL and/orthe
updated space bitmap in the TDI\/IA at an ejection tinne
or the lil<e is ended.

[0362] It is to be noted that, if no data has been written
into the disk 1 at all since the disk 1 was nnounted on the
disk drive, the flow of the processing represented by the
flowchart shown in FIG. 22 goes from the step F302 to
the end by way of the step F305 without recording an
updated TDFL and/or an updated space bitmap in the
TDMA.

[0363] At the steps F304 and F307, the TDFL and the

space bitmap are recorded sequentially at the beginning
of a free area in the TDMA recorded on the disk 1 as
explained earlier by referring to FIGS. 14 and 15. In the
case of a two-layer disk, the TDMA on layer 0 is used
first as an area for recording the TDFL and the space
bitmap and, after no more free area is left in the TDMA
on layer 0, the TDMA on layer 1 is used.
[0364] In addition, in the case of both the one-layer
disk and the two-layer disk, a TDDS added to the last
TDFL or space bitmap in the TDMA, being recorded in
the last sector of the last TDFL or the last sector of the
last space bitmap is the effective TDDS, which points to
the effective TDFL and the effective space bitmap.
[0365] By the way, when a TDFL is additionally record-
ed in the TDMA at the step F303, F304, a technique may
also be adopted as a conceivable technique for restruc-
turing pieces of alternate-address information ati stored
in the cache memory 60a.

[0366] FIG. 23 shows aflowchart representing atypical
alternate-address information restructure process. This
process can be carried out typically before the step F303
of the flowchart shown in FIG. 22.
[0367] At a step F351 , pieces of alternate-address in-
formation ati cataloged on the TDFL stored in the cache
memory 60a are searched to verify whether or not the
following condition exists. The source and destination
clusters represented by specific pieces of alternate-ad-
dress information ati are respectively physical continua-
tion of the source and destination clusters represented
by the other specific pieces of alternate-address infor-
mation ati.

[0368] If such specific pieces of alternate-address in-
formation ati were not been found in the search, the flow
of the processing goes from the step F352 back to the
step F303 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 1 1 without car-
rying out any process.

[0369] If such two specific pieces of alternate-address
information ati were found in the search, on the other
hand, the flow of the processing goes on to a step F353
at which the specific pieces of alternate-address infor-
mation ati are synthesized for the purpose of restructur-
ing them.

[0370] The steps F352 and F353 are executed repeat-
edly to synthesize any pair of such specific pieces of al-
ternate-address information ati. After all such specific
pieces of alternate-address information ati are proc-

essed, thef low of the processing goes from the step F352
back to the step F303.

[0371] FIGS. 24A, 24B, 24C are explanatory diagrams
showing the alternate-address information restructure

5 process.

[0372] Assume for example that, as shown in FIG.24A,
requests to write data into clusters CL1, C12, CI 3 and
014 are received separately, and data Is written into clus-
ters CL1 1 , 0112, 0113 and Oil 4 respectively in an OSA

fo through an alternate-address process.

[0373] I n this case, since the four requests to write data
into the clusters are received separately, four pieces of
alternate-address Information ati are each cataloged as
an entry having status 1 of 0000 as shown in FIG. 24B.

^5 [0374] However, two pieces of alternate-address infor-
mation ati having status 1 of 0101 and status 1 of 1010
respectively can be applied to four alternate-address
continuous destination clusters CL1, 012, 013 and OI4
and four alternate -ad dress continuous source clusters

20 CL1 1 , on 2, on 3 and Oil 4 used in this example.

[0375] Thus, as shown in FIG. 240, the four entries
can be restructured into a start entry with status 1 of 01 01
indicating start source cluster Oil as well as start desti-
nation cluster Oil 1 and an end entry with status 1 of 1010

25 indicating end source cluster OI4 as well as end destina-
tion cluster 0114. As a result, the number of pieces of
alternate-address information ati recorded on the disk 1
can be reduced.

[0376] It is to be noted that such restructuring of alter-
so nate-address information can of course be applied to any
pair of entries with status 1 of 0101 and 1010 indicating
a plurality of continuous source and a plurality of desti-
nation clusters as described above. For example, a first
pair of entries represents a plurality of first continuous
35 source clusters and a plurality of first continuous desti-
nation clusters. By the same token, a second pair of en-
tries is a pair provided for a plurality of second continuous
source clusters and a plurality of second continuous des-
tination clusters. Ifthe second continuous source clusters
^0 are a continuation of the first continuous source clusters
and the second continuous destination clusters are a
continuation of the first continuous destination clusters,
the first pair of entries and the second pair of entries can
be restructured into a new pair of entries.
45 [0377] In addition, if a plurality of continuous source
and destination clusters represented by a pair of entries
with status 1 of 0101 and status 1 of 1010 as described
above are respectively continuations of source and des-
tination clusters represented another entry with status 1
50 of 0000, the pair of entries can be restructured into a new
pair including the other entry.

5-4: Oonversion into Oompatible Disks

55 [0378] By the way, in a writable optical disk, manage-
ment of alternate addresses is executed by using alter-
nate-address management information stored in the
DMA recorded on the disk. That is to say, unlike the disk

EP 1 612 790 A1

1 provided by the embodiment, aTDIVIA is not provided
so that the alternate-address management information
stored in the DMA itself is renewed to keep up with an
executed a Item ate- address process. The data structure
of the DMA recorded on a writable optical disk is the same
as the DMA recorded on the disk 1 provided by the em-
bodiment.

[0379] In the write-once optical disk provided by the
embodiment, on the other hand, data can be written into
an area including the TDMA only once so that the em-
bodiment must adopt a technique to update the TDMA
by adding alternate-address management infonnation to
the TDMA.

[0380] Thus, in order make a disk drive for a writable
optical disk capable of reproducing data from the disk 1
provided by the embodiment, It is necessary to reflect
most recent alternate-address management information
recorded in the TDMA in the DMA.
[0381 ] In addition, in the case of a writable optical disk
or the like, alternate-address information ati is recorded
in the DMA for each cluster even If an alternate-address
process is carried out on clusters located in a contiguous
area. In the case of a write-once optical disk like the one
provided by the present invention, that is, in the case of
a disk with a recording capacity decreasing due to data
written therein, however, it is specially important to ef-
fectively utilize the limited area of the TDMA. It is thus
desirable to adopt a method of not increasing the size of
the TDFL even in an alternate-address process carried
out on clusters of a contiguous area. Thus, instead of
including all cluster addresses completing an alter-
nate-address process as alternate-address information
ati in the temporary defect management infomiation TD-
FL recorded in the TDMA, a burst-transmission format
representedby a pair of entries with statu s 1 of 01 01 and
status 1 of 1 01 0 as described above is adopted so as to
reduce the number of pieces of recorded alternate-ad-
dress information ati. That is to say, if addresses of three
or more continuous clusters are subjected to an alter-
nate-address process, a contiguous area is allocated as
alternate-address destinations for the addresses so that
only two entries of the alternate-address information ati
need to be cataloged on the TDFL.
[0382] In the case of a write-once optical disk provided
by the embodiment, alternate -ad dress information ati is
cataloged on the TDFL every time an alternate-address
process is carried out. Thus, the size of information cat-
aloged on the TDFL changes. That is to say, as the
number of clusters subjected to the alternate-address
process increases, the size of information cataloged on
the TDFL also rises. By collecting a plurality of continuous
clusters subjected to an alternate-address process into
a group of clusters dealt with by carrying out the alter-
nate-address process only once as described above,
however, the increase in TDFL used area can be re-
duced.

[0383] If compatibility of the write-once optical disk im-
plemented by the embodiment with the writable optical

disk is taken into consideration, it is desirable to provide
the write-once optical disk with the format of a DFLinthe
DMA identical with the corresponding format in the wri-
table optical disk. The DFL in the DMA is obtained as a

5 result of conversion of a TDFL recorded in the TDMA.
[0384] To put it concretely, it is desirable to record all
pieces of alternate-address information ati in a format
with status 1 set at 0000. By using such a format, it is not
necessary for the disk drive to switch processing related
to information stored in the DMA from one compatible
with the write-once optical disk to one compatible with
the writable optical disk or vice versa so that a processing
load borne by the disk driver can be reduced.
[0385] Forthe reason described above, when informa-

f5 tion recorded in the TDMA is transferred to the DMA re-
corded on the disk 1 , processing represented by a flow-
chart shown in FIG. 25 is carried out. It is to be noted that
the information transferred to the DMA is final alter-
nate-address management information so that data can

20 no longer be renewed by using the TDMA. Thus, the
processing to transfer infomnation recorded in the TDMA
to the DMA recorded on the disk 1 is carried out typically
as a finalize-time process. In addition, the processing to
transfer information recorded in the TDMA to the DMA

25 recorded on the disk 1 means a process to convert the
disk 1 into a disk having compatibility with a writable op-
tical disk.

[0386] When the processing to transfer information re-
corded in the TDMA to the DMA to convert the disk 1 into

30 a disk having compatibility with a writable optical disk is
carried out, first of all, at a step F401 of the flowchart
shown in FIG. 25, the system controller 60 carries out a
process to transfer a TDFL and/or a space bit map from
the cache memory 60a to the TDMA. Since this process

35 is similar to the process represented by the flowchart
shown in FIG. 22 as processing carried out at an injection
time or the like, its detailed description is not repeated.
[0387] Then, at the next step F402, the most recent
TDDS recorded in the last sector of the TDMA is read

40 out to create information of the DDS shown in FIG. 5.
[0388] Subsequently, the flow of the processing goes
on to the next step F403 to determine whether or not the
TDFL includes one or more pieces of alternate-address
information ati. Thus, first of all, the most recent TDFL is

45 read outf rom the TDMA. As explained earlier by referring
to FIG. 14, information on the recording location of the
effective TDFL can be obtained from the TDDS. The
number of cataloged pieces of alternate-address infor-
mation ati can be obtained from the defect-list manage-

50 ment information of the TDFL as the number of cataloged
DFL entries.

[0389] The number of cataloged pieces of alter-
nate-address information ati set at 0 indicates that no
alternate-address infomnation ati is cataloged. In this
55 case, the flow of the processing goes on to a step F404
at which the TDDS is deleted from the TDFL to leave
data for creating a DFL like the one shown in FIG. 6. This
is because, as shown in FIG. 1 1 , the TDFL includes the

EP 1 612 790 A1

TDDS.

[0390] Then, at the next step F408, the created DDS
and DFL are recorded in DMA 1 , DMA2, DMA 3 and DMA
4, which have been allocated on the disk 1 , before the
execution of the processing is ended.
[0391] If the determination result obtained at the step
F403 indicates that the number of cataloged pieces of
alternate-address information atl is 1 or greater, on the
other hand, the flow of the processing goes on to a step
F405 to determine whether or not an alternate-address
process has been carried out on continuous alternate-ad-
dress source and destination areas.
[0392] At the step F405, first of all, status 1 of alter-
nate-address information ati cataloged on the TDFL as
an entry is fetched. Alternate-address infomnation ati with
statusi of0101 indicates that an alternate-address proc-
ess has been carried out on continuous alternate-ad-
dress source and destination areas represented by the
alternate-address information ati.
[0393] On the other hand, all the entries cataloged on
the TDFL having status 1 of 0000 indicate that no alter-
nate-address process has been carried out on continu-
ous alternate-address source and destination areas. In
this case, the flow of the processing goes on to a step
F406 at which the TDDS is deleted from the TDFL to
leave data for creating a DFL.

[0394] If an alternate-address process has been car-
ried out on continuous alternate-address source and des-
tination areas, first of all, at a step F409, entries with
status 1 of 0000 are copied to the DFL. These entries
each represent alternate-address information ati for an
alternate-address process carried out on a normal
one-to-one pair consisting of a source cluster and a des-
tination cluster.

[0395] Then, at the next step F410, alternate-address
information ati with status 1 of 0101 is acquired and the
alternate source address in the alternate -address infor-
mation ati is saved as a start address SA. Then, alter-
nate-address information ati following the alternate-ad-
dress information ati with status 1 of 0101 is acquired
and the alternate source address in the following alter-
nate-address information ati is saved as an end address
EA.

[0396] Then, at the next step F41 1 , alternate-address
information ati with status 1 of 0000 is cataloged on the
DFL as alternate-address information ati including the
start address SA as the alternate source address. Sub-
sequently, the start address SA is incremented by 1 (SA
= SA + 1). Then, alternate-address information ati with
status 1 of 0000 is cataloged on the DFL as alternate-ad-
dress information ati including the incremented start ad-
dress (SA + 1) as the alternate source address. These
processes are carried out repeatedly till the incremented
start address SA reaches the end address EA. By carry-
ing out these processes repeatedly as described above,
alternate-address information ati representing continu-
ous alternate-address source and destination areas is
cataloged on the DFL as a plurality of entries each de-

scribing alternate-address information ati representing a
normal one-to-one pair consisting of a source cluster and
a destination cluster.

[0397] Then, at the next step F412, the TDFL is
5 searched for other alternate-address information entry
with status 1 of '0101'. If such an entry is found in the
search, the flow of the processing goes back to the step
F410 to repeat the processes described above. That is
to say, the processes of the steps F410 and F411 are
carried out on all pieces of alternate -address information
ati with status 1 of 01 01 on the TDFL
[0398] Then, the flow of the processing goes on from
the step F406 or the step F41 2 to a step F407 at which
the pieces of alternate -ad dress information ati cataloged
f5 on the created DFL are rearranged in an order of increas-
ing alternate source addresses.

[0399] Then, at the next step F408, the created DDS
and DFL are recorded in DMA 1, DMA 2, DMA 3 and
DMA 4, which have been allocated on the disk 1 , before

20 the execution of the processing is ended.

[0400] By carrying out the processing described
above, alternate-address information recorded in the TD-
MA is recorded in the DMA by converting the information
into entries each having status 1 of 0000.

25 [0401] The disk drive designed for a writable optical
disk reads out information from the DMA to verify the
state of the alternate-address process. Since the disk 1
provided by the embodiment is converted into a disk hav-
ing a DMA created as described above, it is possible to

30 verify the state of the alternate-address process and car-
ry out processing in accordance with the state in the same
way as the ordinary writable optical disk.

6: Effects of the TDMA Method of this Embodiment

[0402] The disk 1 and the disk drive, which are imple-
mented by the embodiment, have the following effects.
[0403] In accordance with the embodiment, a write re-
quest can be made more than once to write data at the
^0 same address in a write-once optical disk. Thus, it is pos-
sible to apply a file system, which used to be unusable,
to the conventional write-once optical disk. For example,
a file system for a variety of operating systems (OS) can
be applied as it is. An example of such a file system is a
45 FAT file system. In addition, data can be exchanged with-
out being conscious of differences in OS.
[0404] On top of that, the write-once optical disk makes
it possible to renew not only user data but, of course,
directory information of the FAT or the like recorded in
50 the user-data area. Thus, the write-once optical disk pro-
vides convenience that data such as directory informa-
tion of the FAT or the like can be updated from time to
time.

[0405] Assuming that the AV system 120 is used, video
55 and musical data can be utilized as updateable media
as long as a free area of an ISA or an OSA remains.
[0406] In addition, an operation to record data into an
address specified by a host computer or the like as an

EP 1 612 790 A1

address in the write-once optical disk or read out data
fronn sucli an address is a heavy processing load forthe
disk drive. If a write instruction specifying an address is
received and the address is known as an address at
which data has already been recorded before, an error 5
report can be returned without actually nnaking an access
to the write-once optical disk. In order to implement such
a configuration, it is necessary to manage the recording
states of the write-once optical disk and, in this embod-
iment, a space bitmap is used as means for implementing fo
the management of the recording states.
[0407] By preparing a space bitmap, random recording
on a write-once optical disk having a large storage ca-
pacity can be implemented without imposing a process-
ing load on the disk drive. In addition, since recording f5
states of alternate areas can be managed, an alternate
destination address used in an alternate -address proc-
ess of a defect or a logical overwriting process can be
acquired without actually making an access to the
write-once optical disk. 20
[0408] On top of that, by using the space bitmap for
managing management/control information areas allo-
cated on the disk as the lead-in and the lead-out zones,
recording states of the management/control information
can also be managed. In particular, the management of 25
the test area OPC serving as an area for adjusting the
power of the laser beam is effective. With the conven-
tional technique, an access must be actually made to the
disk in order to search the disk for the address included
in the OPC as an address at which data should be written. 30
It is thus quite within the bounds of possibility that an area
in which data has been recorded by using a small laser
power is interpreted as an unrecorded area. By using the
space bitmap for also managing the OPC area, however,
it is possible to avoid such misinterpretation. 35
[0409] By combining the overwrite function described
before with the space bitmap, the processing load borne
by the disk drive can be reduced. That is to say, as is
obvious from the pieces of processing represented by
the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 1 7 to 21 , without actually ^0
making an access to the disk, it is possible to determine
whether or not the overwrite function is to be activated.
[0410] In addition, by putting a defective area detected
at a write time and surroundings of the area in recorded
status in the space bitmap, it is possible to eliminate a 45
time-consuming process to record data at a defective
address caused by an injury. In addition, by combining
this feature of the space bitmap and the overwrite func-
tion, it is possible to carry out a write process, which ap-
pears to the host as a process having no write error. 50
[0411] On top of that, an updated TDML serving as
alternate address management information and an up-
dated space bitmap are additionally recorded in the TD-
MA and, at the same time, information indicating the ef-
fective TDFL and/or the effective space bitmap is also 55
recorded as well. Thus, the effective TDFL and/or the
effective space bitmap can be identified at each point of
time. That is to say, the disk drive is capable of correctly

grasping the updating state of the alternate-address
management information.

[0412] In addition, the fact that the space bitmap is
recorded in the TDMA means that the data zone serving
as a main area for recording the space bit map is not
used. For example, the ISA or the like is not used. Thus,
it is possible to carry out an alternate-address process
effectively utilizing a data zone and any one of an ISA
and an OSA, which each serve as an alternate-address
area. For example, either an ISA or an OSA is selected
as an alternate-address area to be used in an alter-
nate-address process typically on the basis of preference
of an area closer to the alternate source address. By
selecting either an ISA or an OSA in this way, an oper-
ation to make an access to data completing the alter-
nate-address process can be made efficient.
[041 3] On top of that, in an operation to write data onto
the disk 1 , data may not be written into a specified area
due to a defect detected in the area and, if data is received
continuously thereafter, by carrying out an alternate-ad-
dress process, the write operation can be continued with-
out returning an error report. For clarity, refer to the flow-
charts shown in FIGS. 1 7 and 1 8.
[0414] In addition, if an operation to write data into a
specified area cannot be carried out due to a defect de-
tected in the area, in many cases, areas surrounding the
defective area are most likely also areas into which data
cannot be recorded. In this case, a write process can be
carried out as a process assuming that predetermined
areas following the defective area are also defective ar-
eas to which no access is actually made. If data forthese
areas has already been received by the disk drive, an
alternate-address process can be carried out on the ar-
eas. In this case, even if three or more continuous clus-
ters are subjected to an alternate-address process, al-
ternate-address information ati can be cataloged on the
TDFL only as two entries so that the size of the used
write area can be reduced.

[041 5] On top of that, by carrying out a process on the
space bitmap to treat a processed area as an area, in
which data has been written in this way, an illegal access
can be avoided.

[0416] If no data for areas following an area, in which
data cannot be written, has been received by the disk
drive, on the other hand, predetermined ones of the fol-
lowing areas are cataloged on the TDFL as defective
clusters each having an allocated alternate destination
and treated on the space bitmap as areas, in which data
has already been written. If an instruction to write data
into such an area is received from the host thereafter,
the disk drive refers to the space bitmap to find out that
the area is an area, in which data has already been writ-
ten. In this case, the oven/vrite function can be executed
to record the data without generating an error.
[0417] In addition, since the DMA has the same data
structure as the writable disk, data can be reproduced
by a reproduction system from the disk provided by the
embodiment even if the reproduction system designed

EP 1 612 790 A1

for a writable disk is used.

[0418] Disks provided by preferred embodiments and
disk drives designed for the disks liave been described
so far. However, the scope of the present invention is not
limited to the preferred embodiments. That is to say, a
variety of modifications within the range of essentials of
the present invention are conceivable.
[0419] For example, as a recording medium of the
present invention, a recording medium otherthan the op-
tical-disk medium can be used. Examples of the record-
ing medium other than the optical-disk medium are a
magneto-optical disk, a magnetic disk and media based
on a semiconductor memory.

Industrial Applicability

[0420] As is obvious from the above descriptions, the

present invention has the following effects.
[0421] In accordance with the present invention, a
write-once recording medium can be used virtually as a
recording medium allowing data already recorded ther-
eon to be renewed. Thus, a file system such as a FAT
file system for a writable recording medium can be used
for a write-once recording medium. As a result, the
present invention provides an effect that the usefulness
of a write-once recording medium can be enhanced con-
siderably. For example, the FAT file system, which is a
standard file system for information-processing appara-
tus such as a personal computer, allows a variety of op-
erating systems (OS) to reproduce data from a writable
recording medium and record data onto only a writable
recording medium. By virtue of the present invention,
however, the FAT file system can also be applied to a
write-once recording medium as it is and allows data to
be exchanged without being conscious of differences be-
tween operating systems. These features are also good
from compatibility-maintenance point of view.
[0422] In addition, in accordance with the present in-
vention, a write-once recording medium can be used as
a writable recording medium as long as an alternate area
and an area for updating alternate-address management
information remain in the write-once recording medium.
Thus, the write-once recording medium can be used ef-
fectively. As a result, the present invention provides an
effect that resource wasting can be reduced.
[0423] On top of that, a space bitmap can be referred
to as information indicating whether or not data has been
recorded in any cluster, which is used as a data unit on
each recording layer of the recording medium. In general,
a host computer or the like makes a request to record
data at an address specified in the request as an address
in a recording medium mounted on a recording apparatus
or a request to reproduce data from an address specified
in the request as an address in a recording medium
mounted on a reproduction apparatus, and such requests
are a heavy processing load that must be borne by the
recording and reproduction apparatus. By referring to
such a space bitmap, however, it is possible to determine

whether or not data has already been recorded at an
address specified for example In a write request. If data
has already been recorded at the specified address, an
error report can be returned to the host computer without
5 actually making an access to the recording medium. As
an alternative, the data can be renewed by carrying out
an alternate-address process. In particular, it is also pos-
sible to determine whether or not the function to renew
data is effective (enabled) without actually making an ac-
cess to the recording medium.

[0424] In addition, by referring to such a space bitmap,
it is possible to determine whether or not data has already
been recorded at an address specified for example in a
read request. If no data has already been recorded at
f5 the specified address, an error report can be returned to
the host computer without actually making an access to
the recording medium.

[0425] That Is to say, it is possible to reduce a process-
ing load borne by the recording and reproduction appa-

20 ratus in respectively recording and reproducing data onto
and from the recording medium by making random ac-
cesses to the recording medium.
[0426] In addition, by using the information indicating
whether or not data has been recorded in any cluster,

25 recording states of alternate areas can be managed.
Thus, it is possible to acquire an alternate destination
address, which is to be used in an alternate-address proc-
ess carried out due to the existence of a defect or carried
out to renew data, without actually making an access to

30 the recording medium.

[0427] On top of that, management/control areas such
as the lead-in and lead-out areas can also be managed
by using the information indicating whether or not data
has been recorded in any cluster. Thus, the information

35 indicating whether or not data has been recorded In any
cluster is suitable f ortypically a process to grasp the used
range of the ORG for adjusting a laser power or the like.
That is to say, when the ORG is searched for a trial-write
area for adjusting a laser power, it is not necessary to

^0 actually make an access to the recording medium and it
is also possible to avoid incorrect detection as to whether
or not data has been recorded in a cluster.
[0428] In addition, if the information indicating whether
or not data has been recorded in any cluster reveals that

45 an area used as a target of a write operation is defective
due to an injury and data has been recorded in areas
surrounding the target area, it is possible to eliminate a
process for recording data at an address in the defective
target area as a process that would otherwise take long

50 time to carry out. On top of that, by combining this function
with a function to renew data, it is possible to carry out a
write process, which appears to the host as a process
involving no write error.

[0429] On top of that, the second alternate-address
55 management information areas, which are each provided
on one of recording layers, are used sequentially one
after another each as an area for updating alternate-ad-
dress management information and written unwritten

EP 1 612 790 A1

agement information for managing alternate-ad-
dress processes each using said alternate area;
and

a second alternate-address management infor-

5 mation area for recording said alternate-address

management information in an updateable
state,

wherein, for each data unit of said write-once
recording area, written unwritten state indication
fo information is recorded in a predetermined area

as information indicating whether or not data has
been written into said data unit.

2. The recording medium according to claim 1 wherein
15 said second alternate-address management infor-
mation areas, which are each provided on one of
said recording layers, are used sequentially one after
another each as an area for recording alternate-ad-
dress management information serving as an up-

20 date.

3. The recording medium according to claim 1 wherein
said written unwritten state indication information is
recorded in said second alternate-address manage-
rs ment information areas and said second alter-
nate-address management information areas, which
are each provided on one of said recording layers,
are used sequentially one after another each as an
area for recording alternate-address management

30 information serving as an update as well as written
unwritten state indication information for each of said
recording layers as an update.

state indication information (or a space bitmap provided
for each recording layer).

[0430] The fact that the second alternate-address
management information areas is used in this way means
thatthe second alternate-address management informa-
tion areas are used collectively as a large second alter-
nate-address management information area. Thus, a
plurality of second alternate-address management infor-
mation areas can be used with a high degree of efficiency.
[0431] In addition, at a point of time a write operation
is carried out to update a portion of the written unwritten
state indication information in accordance with an oper-
ation to write data or a write operation is carried out to
update the alternate-address management information
in accordance with the alternate-address process, con-
trol is executed to include information in the written un-
written state indication information being written in the
second alternate-address management information area
to indicate that the written unwritten state indication in-
formation is effective written unwritten state indication
information in the second alternate-address manage-
ment information area or information in the alternate-ad-
dress management information being written in the sec-
ond alternate- address management information area to
indicate that the alternate-address management infor-
mation is effective alternate-address management infor-
mation in the second alternate-address management in-
formation area. Thus, at every point of time, the effective
alternate-address management information orthe effec-
tive written unwritten state indication infomnation in the
second alternate-address management information area
can be identified. That is to say, the recording apparatus
and the reproduction apparatus are capable of correctly
grasping the updating state of the a Item ate- address
management information and the updating state of the
written unwritten state indication information. Thus, by
using the written unwritten state indication information
and the alternate-address management infomnation, the
recording apparatus and the reproduction apparatus are
capable of carrying out processing with a high degree of
efficiency.

Claims

1. A recording medium having a plurality of recording

layers each including a write-once recording area
allowing data to be recorded therein only once as an
area comprising:

a regular recording reproduction area, which da-
ta is recorded into and reproduced from;
an alternate area for recording data in an alter-
nate-address process carried out due to a defect
existing in said regular recording reproduction
area or carried out to renew existing data;
a first alternate-address management informa-
tion area for recording alternate-address man-

4. A recording apparatus provided for a recording me-
35 dium having a plurality of recording layers each in-
cluding a write-once recording area allowing data to
be recorded therein only once as an areacomprising:

a regular recording reproduction area, which da-
40 ta is recorded into and reproduced from;

an alternate area for recording data in an alter-
nate-address process carried out due to a defect
existing in said regular recording reproduction
area or carried out to renew existing data;
45 a first alternate-address management informa-

tion area for recording alternate-address man-
agement information for managing alternate-ad-
dress processes each using said alternate area;
and

50 a second alternate-address management infor-

mation area for recording said alternate-address
management information and written unwritten
state indication information indicating whether
or not data has been written into said data unit,

55 In said write-once recording area in an update-

able state,

said recording apparatus comprising:

EP 1 612 790 A1

write means for recording data onto said re-
cording medium; and

control means for executing control to use
said second alternate-address manage-
ment information areas, which are each pro- 5
vided on one of said recording layers, se-
quentially one after another each as an area
for recording updates when driving said
write means to carry out a write operation
to update said written unwritten state indi- fo
cation information in accordance with an op-
eration to write data into a data unit and a
write operation to update said alternate-ad-
dress management information in accord-
ance with said alternate-address process.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4 where-
in, when driving said write means to carry out a write
operation to update said written unwritten state indi-
cation information in accordance with an operation 20
to write data into a data unit and a write operation to
update said alternate-address management infor-
mation in accordance with said alternate-address
process, said control means executes control to in-
clude information in said written unwritten state in- 25
dication information being written in said second al-
ternate-address management information area to in-
dicate that said written unwritten state Indication in-
fomnation is effective written unwritten state indica-
tion information in said second alternate-address so
management information area and information in
said alternate-address management information be-
ing written in said second alternate-address man-
agement information area to indicate that said alter-
nate-address management information is effective 35
alternate-address management information in said
second alternate-address management information
area.

6. A reproduction apparatus provided for a recording
medium having a plurality of recording layers each
including a write-once recording area allowing data
to be recorded therein only once as an area com-
prising:

a regular recording reproduction area, which da-
ta is recorded into and reproduced from;
an alternate area for recording data in an alter-
nate-address process carried out due to a defect
existing in said regular recording reproduction so
area or carried out to renew existing data;
a first a Item ate -address management informa-
tion area for recording alternate-address man-
agement information for managing alternate-ad-
dress processes each using said alternate area; 55
and

a second alternate-address management infor-
mation area for recording said alternate-address

management information and written unwritten
state indication information indicating whether
or not data has been written into said data unit,
in said write-once recording area in an update-
able state,

said reproduction apparatus comprising
read means for reproducing data from said re-
cording medium and

control means for executing control to use said
second alternate-address management infor-
mation areas, which are each provided on one
of said recording layers, sequentially one after
another, searching pieces of recorded alter-
nate-address management information and
pieces of recorded written unwritten state indi-
cation information for said effective alter-
nate-address management information and
said effective written unwritten state indication
information respectively and controlling said
read means to read out data from said recording
medium at a data read request on the basis of
said effective alternate-address management
information and said effective written unwritten
state indication information.

7. A recording method provided for a recording medium
having a plurality of recording layers each including
a write-once recording area allowing data to be re-
corded therein only once as an area comprising:

a second alternate-address management infor-
mation area for recording said alternate-address
management information and written unwritten
state indication information indicating whether
or not data has been written into said data unit,
in said write-once recording area in an update-
able state,

whereby control is executed to use said second
alternate-address management information ar-
eas, which are each provided on one of said
recording layers, sequentially one after another
each as an area for recording updates in a write
operation to update said written unwritten state
indication information in accordance with an op-
eration to write data into a data unit and a write
operation to update said alternate-address man-
agement information in accordance with said al-

EP 1 612 790 A1

ternate-address process.

8. The recording method according to claim 7 whereby,
in a write operation to update said written unwritten
state indication information in accordance with an 5
operation to write data into a data unit and a write
operation to update said alternate-address manage-
ment information In accordance with said alter-
nate-address process, control is executed to include
information in said written unwritten state indication fo
information being written in said second alter-
nate-address management information area to indi-
cate that said written unwritten state indication infor-
mation is effective written unwritten state indication
information in said second alternate-address man-
agement infomnation area and information in said
alternate-address management information being
written in said second alternate-address manage-
ment information area to indicate that said alter-
nate-address management information is effective 20
alternate-address management infomnation in said
second alternate-address management information
area.

9. A reproduction method provided for a recording me- 25
dium having a plurality of recording layers each in-
cluding a write-once recording area allowing data to

be recordedtherein only once as an areacomprising:

a regular recording reproduction area, which da- so
ta is recorded into and reproduced from;
an alternate area for recording data in an alter-
nate-address process carried out due to a defect
existing in said regular recording reproduction
area or carried out to renew existing data; 35
a first a Item ate -address management informa-
tion area for recording alternate-address man-
agement information for managing alternate-ad-
dress processes each using said alternate area;
and 40
a second altemate-address management infor-
mation area for recording said alternate-address
management information and written unwritten
state indication information indicating whether
or not data has been written into said data unit, 45
in said write-once recording area in an update-
able state,

whereby control is executed to use said second
alternate-address management information ar-
eas, which are each provided on one of said 50
recording layers, sequentially one after another,
search pieces of recorded alternate-address
management information and pieces of record-
ed written unwritten state indication information
for said effective alternate-address manage- 55
ment information and said effective written un-
written state indication information respectively
and read out data from said recording medium

at a data read request on the basis of said ef-
fective alternate-address management informa-
tion and said effective written unwritten state in-
dication infonnation.

EP 1 612 790 A1

CSJ

1 1 1 1 — LU
LU O

CXI
LU

ZD
O

CD ^
LU ^ fv^
Oo

—

— LUH-

^LUS
^ CD

0 0:1 LU
UJLU —

Q 3AH3S3 a
<

O
O

C>4
<

EP 1 612 790 A1

CDH- Z
ZOO
— Z=i —

O^OO

o tt: LU
00. Qc:

LULU

a3Aa3S3y

a3Ay3S3y

o
a.
o

a3Ail3S3M

CsJ
<

a3Ail3S3d

ISI

I— <c

ZLU

ocn
o«:

LU —

UJ<<
CDS

O ZLU

o-<

UJ<<
OS

<CQc:

UJ
LU

o
en

=3
O

aro o

OCCLU

oQ_ en

LULU

G3A«3S3H

a3Aa3S3y

o
<

o
I-

o
a.
o

a3Ail3S3M

CM
<

a3AU3S3d

EP 1 612 790 A1

CLUSTER
COUNT

=«:

-J

—J

Ll.

LJJ

1—

1— i

1 —

1—

H-

—

1—

H-

-J

Ll-

Ll.

CLUSTER
NUMBER

9-12

13-16

17-20

21-24

25-28

29-32

CM -J
COO

EP 1 612 790 A1

BYTE
COUNT

65483

CONTENTS

DDS IDENTIFIER =

DDS FORMAT NUMBER

RESERVED (OOh)

DDS-UPDATING COUNT (= SEQUENCE NUMBER OF LAST TDDS)

RESERVED (OOh)

DRIVE-AREA START PHYSICAL SECTOR ADDRESS (AD_DRV) IN DMA

RESERVED (OOh)

DEFECT-LIST START PHYSICAL SECTOR ADDRESS (ADJFL) IN DMA

RESERVED (OOh)

START PHYSICAL SECTOR ADDRESS OF USER-DATA AREA

END LOGICAL SECTOR ADDRESS OF USER-DATA AREA

SIZE OF FIRST LAYER ALTERNATE AREA (ISA 0) ON INNER-SIDE CIRCUMFERENCE

SIZE OF ALTERNATE AREA (OSA 0 OR OSA 1) ON OUTER-SIDE CIRCUMFERENCE

SIZE OF SECOND LAYER ALTERNATE AREA (ISA 1) ON INNER-SIDE CIRCUMFERENCE

SPARE AREA FULL FLAGS

RESERVED (OOh)

CNJ

CVJ

csj

00
CVJ

CVJ
CO

CD
CO

BYTE
POSITI

ocooo

I— COLU

GO WGQ

EP 1 612 790 A1

d
Ll

LUZ

>-o

00
I—

h-LU
00 CD

CD
CO

LU
CD

o
o

LU
00
LU

rD
o
o

o
o

LU
>

LU
CO
LU
01

Ll.
o

00
LU

OH
LU

LL.
O

O
LU

a
o

LU
CD

o
o

LU
>

LU
00
LU

o
-<

CO
CD

<c
o

o
o

LU
H-
CO

x:
o
o

LU
CO
LU

00
CM

LU
J-

CD
CO

EP 1 612 790 A1

00
UJ
I—
>
OQ

CX3
<N
X3

CSJ
CO

00 -
H-CO
— CO

oi::

CO o
CO

LU :

cn O

Q —

<c — <c
acQC —

OOh-
I— I— CO
OOLU
LJJLUC

coco

— IH-

OOU-LU
>- V

(TO
LUO
OOO
I I i w

00 UJ
CO H-
UJ CO
ID
Q -
OZO
< —

ooq:

OOO
LULU CO
COCO

<C0<

Ottir^

COU.UJ
>- V

Q-0<

00
ID

I—
<

EP 1 612 790 A1

CLUSTER
COUNT

-J

Ll.

Q-

1—

-J

CLUSTER
NUMBER

2048

CO
01
LU
K-

C50C0

CNJO

EP 1 612 790 A1

LUULI

DC
UJ
>-

—. 3

UJ m <c
— ivi — —

=30

"0"

^ ^

t—

1 —

UL.

LL.

( — *

c J

1 —

O-

1 —

Q-

1 —

Ql_

Q£

LXJ

U-l

eel

ti-

Ll_

5—

Ll.

□Q

er:

cz:

01:

1—

1 —

<*:

1 —

0
rvj

c:>

I —

1 —

<i:

t —

cc:

1 —

•<c

1 —

DAT;

»—

h-
Z3
CD

Q
Q-

<s:
o

1 —

Ul.

Ll.

U-

<=>

f—

OQ
Li-

o
<3

!MAT

1 —

CO
Ll-

0
0

[MAT

ITIO

<=>

Lt.

Ck_

1 —

U-

1 —

Oct

c:>

LU
CO

•<c

1 —

•<

CO o

I — •
•< I

O I

LU
CO
LU

I — CO

I —

uu
CO

EP 1 612 790 A1

BYTE
COUNT

2048

CNJ

1—

—

1—

U-

LJJ

—

~—

1—

<
1

-J

1—

ct:

1—

-J

r\
1— <

BYTE

POSITION

CVJ

64 + 8 X N

65536 X N - 2048

l-ID
-J

EP 1 612 790 A1

1—

1 1 1

1 1 1 ^

CVJ

>-o

C3i

LU
CL>

c:>

1 —

LLJ

LU
LU

O
LU

Li_

DAT)

YER 1

1 1 1

Ll_

1—

£^

RCU

Li.

SIDE

O
LU

-SID

LL
O

FDR F

FOR S

EFUN

ATA

ais

a;:

LLJ

ESS (

RESS

CO
ID

ISER-

N CUTE

1) ON

RECO

SPACE

LE (1:0

o::

•<

<ac
oo

<:
—1

□e

C-?
LU
QC

O
I—

<c
oo
o

q::

LL
O

1 —

CO
CD

1—

LU
00

LU
OO

DRE

-SC
LU

o
o

■<c

LRA)

0) OF

1) OF

Ll_

f/\

CAL

HYSICAi

TOR

RNAT

VSO) V

ERNA

AGS

RESS (1

ADJP

11 TE

1MB

ISA

LTE

1 —
-J
<C

:ess (

LU
C3

Q-

-J

/V*

u»
1 1 1

1—

or
<c

Ql
LU
>-

LU
>-

■<c

/— \

•<c

-sC

-J

c=>

cx:

C=3

Ll.

-J

1—

c-a

h—
C_3

1 —

/— \
w

LU
CO

1—

LU
OO

/-\

ll 1

U 1

Ll— i

/-N

t—
—1

I—

1 1 1

-J

1 1 1

-J

u.
o

LL
O

Ll.
O

1—

LLI

Q-

LU
LL-

IZE

ex.

o::

ION

CSJ

CSI

CSJ

CVJ

CSJ

IT)

CSJ

1 — OO

>-o

QQCU

CC 00
O LU

< O >- 3-

Lu m

CSJ

EP 1 612 790 A1

OLU

LiJO

CXI

LULU
f— Z
30
OlSl

LULU
I— Z

= o

OlSl

LU
00

<
o

LU
CO

o
<

00
O

o
<

CO ^

OLU

aio
-irvi

OLU
<Z
LUO

OLU
<Z
LUO
-UNJ

LU
>-
<

EP 1 612 790 A1

^ UJ

S CD
CO fe^.

or f~~\

OS o

CO 1

—I

Q-

1 —

LLJ

O CO

CO
UJ

OS o

S CO

^ OS o

5ITMAP
YER 0)
Y DDS

BITMAP
AYER 1)
RY DDS

RY DFL

Y DDS

BITMAP
AYER 0)
RY DDS

)RDED

~ ■« OS

•<

UJ-J ^

CO fcg

UJ
1—

txi

to !±5 S

1 —

1—

C3D

CNJ

O CO

_l
UU

era

1 —

on o

1 —

OS Q
UJ

C3Q

>- >-

«: cis

— 1 <c

•<

C?
<£

c:>
<C

OS o

od o

O Q_

u_ s

^ LU

O.
CO

£^

^— ' 1 1 1
1 —

EP 1 612 790 A1

LU
<

o CO
az o

>- >-
<c

oc o

CO I

CVI

! GO

or Q
LU

>- >-

—I «<:
oc o

U_ CO

<C oc

Q- O

O CO

-< oc

S cc Q

: S CO

1 cx: CD

CO I

CO
LU

Q-

1— oo

oc a

>- :

oc
oc o

EP 1 612 790 A1

O
CM

— <
I— —11—

<=3 —
ZDOO
OUJ —

LULU

OOO

OZLU

LULUO

A A

READER/

WRITER

CIRCUIT

coq:

COLU
LUO

ADDR
DECO

^ —

X —
— ID

q:o
I- a:
< —
so

LU —

(DO

O —
SO

CX)

OI3

>o
QiQc:

LU —
OOO

LU h
—I -
QOI
2>0
— CCOC
CLLU-
CO OOO

.CO

EP 1 612 790 A1

F I G. 1 7

( DATA WRITE PROCESSING ~^

TO USER-DATA WRITE
PROCESS I NG

F102

TO OVERWRITE
FUNCTION PROCESSING

F103

EP 1 612 790 A1

F I G. 2 0

ALTERNATE-ADDRESS \ NFORMAT I ON
GENERATION PROCESSING

ALTERNATE-ADDRESS
PROCESSING OF PLURALITY
OF CONTINUOUS

CLUSTERS ? _ ^^^^

ri o I

SET ati GENERATION
STATUS 1 FOR STRAT
CLUSTERS AT 0101

F152

SET ati GENERATION
STATUS 1 FOR ALTERNATE-
ADDRESS PROCESS
CLUSTERS AT 0000

SET ati GENERATION
STATUS 1 FOR END
CLUSTERS AT 1010

F153

F154

ADD GENERATED ati TO TDFL

F155

( END )

EP 1 612 790 A1

00
C/)
UJUJ

<Q
zo

-JO

< — -J

H- Ll.

UJ<Q

ocoo
OLua::

<OLl.

in
o
cvi

Q^CO
<IUC0
LUJ-LU

zs<

— o

<ll.o
I— —

QZ<

LUI

I— Oil—

— <C0

q:j— uj

EP 1 612 790 A1

F I G. 2 2

( END )

EP 1 612 790 A1

F I G. 2 3

ALTERNATE-ADDRESS I NFORMAT I ON
RESTRUCTURE PROCESSING

CHECK PHYSICAL CONTINUITY OF
EACH ati ENTRY IN TDFL IN CACHE

TO F303

EP 1 612 790 A1

F I G. 2 4 A

USER-DATA

OSA

\ iCLlicL2icL3icL4i

jcL14icL1CiCL12;CLlli \

F I G. 2 4 B

STATUS ALTERNATE
1 SOURCE ADDRESS

ALTERNATE

DESTINATION ADDRESS

at i#w
ati#x
at i#y
at i#z

0000

CL1

GL11

0000

CL2

CL12

0000

CL3

CL13

0000

CL4

CL14

F I G. 2 4 C

ati RESTRUCTURING

0101

CL1

GUI

1010

CL4

CL14

EP 1 612 790 A1

GO — U-
GO^Q
LU

q::goo

C3LUI—
CD —

J— o

LUZ O
I— LUO

SGO

>-OI—
O.Lt-<C

O — GO

I — ^CGO

co>-
>- cc:
Goi—

Oh-

— OLU

CO LL.
GOOZ
LU —

Q GO
d CO OO

<t:r3LU

CO I —

o
5

>—

<z>

LU O

—J o
Li_<Cl—

1 —

Q LU

Ol— GO

1 —

— 1

OGo<s:

— 1—

1— SCO

SOT LU

-sC

CD 2

1 —

U- LU <C

— oo

CNJ
5-

LU<CGO C^-

o<t:

or.
oi

•GO»

i CD
O

H— -sCGOCD
GO

I— £i:lu>- I
^GOLUQca;:<c .

o<ci

lO
CVJ

Li.

a.
o
o

CD
O

GO
GO

rDCDOi

ql. <a:LU

OUJQ^
h-OO

or:

— J=)0
U.CDZ
CD CO —
GO

LULU<<
CD I— LU

0:::q:^Z

LL.

C30
O

— 1-^
CD CD
Q CO

^ <c

co\

CD CNJ
CD^

LU GO

OLU

CD<:C

— S
GO O
GOO
LU

OI—
—

QQO I

LI.L1.
LUQe: CD
OLUI—
-<OL-
Q-^ — LU
GO h-

cDSc:^
zoo.

CD <a:

LU OS
IE Zl—

QCO

LU-<GO0Q

Lu CD GO

CO LULU

zsoo
-<o o-<

h- Ll-Q_GO

EP 1 612 790 A1

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT

International application No.

PCT/JP2004/003358

A. CLASSIFICATION OF SXJBJECT MATTER

Int.Cl'' G11B20/12, G11B7/00

According to International Patent Classification (IPC) or to both national classification and IPC

B. FIELDS SEARCHED

Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols)
Int.Cl^ G11B20/12, G11B7/00

Documeiitatiou searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searched
Jitsuyo Shinan Koho 1922-1996 Toroku Jitsuyo Shinan Kbho 1994-2D04

Kokai Jitsuyo Shinan Koho 1971-2004 Jitsuyo Shinan Toroku Kbho 1996-2004

Electronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practicable, search terms used)

C. DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT

Category*

Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages

Relevant to claim No.

Y
A

JP 2002-329321 A (Sony Corp.)^ "
15 November, . 20 02 (15.11.02)^
All pages; all drawings
(Family: none)

1-2
3-9

Y
A

JP 09-102173 A (Ricoh Co., Ltd.),
15 April, 1997 (15.04.97),
All pages; all drawings
(Family: none)

1-2
3-9

Y
A

JP 02-183472 A (Fujitsu Ltd.),
18 July, 1990 (18.07.90),
All pages; all drawings
(Family: none)

1-2
3-9

Further documents are listed in the continuation of Box C.

I I See patent faniil}' annex.

A"
"E"

"O"

Special categories of cited documents: "j*'
document defining the general state of the art which is not considered
to be of particular rdevance

eariier application or patent but published on or after the international "X"
jSIing date

document which may throw doubts on priority claim(s) or which is

cited to establish the publication date of another citation or otiier "y*

special reason (as specified)

document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or other means
document published prior to the international filing date but later than
the priority date claimed

later document published after the international filing date or priority
date and not in conflict with the application but cited to understand
the principle or theory underi3'ing the invention

document of particular reJevance; the claimed invenrion cannot be
considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive
step when the document is taken alone

document of particular lelevanoe; the claimed invention cannot be
considered to involve an inventive step when the document is
combined with one or more other such documents, such combination
being obvious to a pcison skilled in the art
document member of the same puLent ^mily

Date of the actual completion of the international search
•14 April, 2004 (14.04.04)

Date of mailing of the international search report
11 May, 2004 (11.05. 04)

Name and mailing address of the ISA/

Japanese Patent Office

Facsimile No.

Authorized officer
Telephone No.

Form PCT/ISA/210 (second sheet) (January 2004)

EP 1 612 790 A1

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT

International application No.

PCT/JP2004/003358

C (Continuation). DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE EELEVANT

Category*

Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages

Relevant to claim No,

A •

JP 2001-351334 A (Sony Corp.),
21 December, 2001 (21.12.01),
Par. Nos. [0057], [0058]
(Family: none)

1-2
3-9

Y
A

JP 2002-352522 A (Matsushita Electric Industrial
Co., Ltd.),

06 December, 2002 (06.12.02),
Par. Nos. [0023] to [0026]
& US 2002/0136134 Al

2
3-9

R)nn PCTyiSA/210 (continuation of second sheet) (January 2004)

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Books

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "USPTO Patents Application 10670332"

See other formats